Is your DevOps NIS2 compliant? Six key questions to ask

The NIS2 Directive is a significant step forward in the European Union’s efforts to improve cybersecurity. It imposes stricter rules on businesses, especially those in key sectors like finance, energy, and digital infrastructure.

If your company falls under these sectors or you’re part of their supply chain, making sure your DevOps processes are NIS2 compliant is critical for security and regulatory reasons. The directive came into effect in October 2024, making compliance mandatory.

So, how do you know if your current DevOps setup meets these new standards? Here are six questions you can ask to find out.

1. Are you shifting security left by checking at every step of your CI/CD pipeline?

NIS2 emphasizes robust cybersecurity measures, and a key part of that is integrating security right into your DevOps processes. Security checks should happen at every stage of the pipeline, not just at the end.

Ask yourself:

• Do you scan code for vulnerabilities during the build process?
• Are you testing your applications for security issues while they’re running in staging environments?

If not, you might expose your organization to risks that NIS2 says you should manage. Point solutions like SonarQube or Snyk and DevOps platforms such as GitLab and GitHub can automate these steps.

2. Do you have tools for detecting and responding to incidents?

Under NIS2, companies must report serious incidents within 24 hours. This means you need to be able to detect problems in real time and respond quickly.

Ask yourself:

• Are you using monitoring and alerting tools like Prometheus or Datadog to track the health and security of your applications?
• Do you have incident management tools like Opsgenie integrated with your pipeline to notify the right people quickly?

Real-time detection and quick responses are key to staying compliant.

3. Is your supply chain secure and traceable?

NIS2 emphasizes not only the security but also the traceability of third-party suppliers. In DevOps, this means ensuring the safety and full visibility of any software libraries, containers, or APIs you use.

Ask yourself:

• Are you scanning third-party dependencies for vulnerabilities before you use them in production?
• Do you have clear processes to evaluate and monitor the security of suppliers over time?
• Can you trace where each dependency in your pipeline originated and ensure it's secure throughout the lifecycle?

Securing and tracking your supply chain not only protects your systems but also ensures you meet NIS2 requirements for both security and traceability.

4. Do you have automated responses for security incidents?

Manual incident responses could be faster and more effective, especially when speed is crucial. Automation ensures you can act fast when issues arise, which is essential under NIS2.

Ask yourself:

• Can you roll back deployments automatically if there’s a failure or security issue?
• Are there automatic actions like patching or scaling down compromised services?

Tools like Argo CD or Kubernetes Helm can help automate these processes and keep your systems running smoothly, even in the face of security threats.

5. Are you monitoring and logging all activity?

NIS2 requires thorough logging and monitoring so that security incidents can be tracked and reported. This includes keeping detailed logs of everything happening in your pipeline.

Ask yourself:

• Are you collecting logs from every stage of your CI/CD pipeline—build, test, deploy, and production?
• Are you using tools like Elasticsearch or Splunk to centralize logs and monitor real-time activity?

This level of logging and monitoring helps with immediate response and provides the necessary data for audits.

6. Do you have a process for reporting incidents?

When a cybersecurity incident happens, you must report it to authorities within 24 hours and provide a full report within 72 hours. This means having a clear process in place for documentation and reporting.

Ask yourself:

• Do you have a clear process for documenting and reporting incidents to the authorities?
• Is this process automated to capture the necessary logs and data?

This ensures you’ll meet NIS2’s reporting requirements without delays.

Is your DevOps ready for NIS2?

NIS2 is more than just having the right technology. It’s about being prepared for cybersecurity threats and knowing how to respond. If you’re unsure your DevOps processes are compliant, now is the time to take action.

By addressing these fundamental questions, you’ll be closer to ensuring your pipelines meet NIS2 standards, protecting your business and customers.

If you need help getting there, our team at Eficode is ready to assist. With our expertise in DevSecOps, we can help you integrate these best practices into your pipelines and ensure full compliance with NIS2.