NIS2 Makes Cybersecurity a C-Suite Responsibility – Are You Ready?
Cybersecurity is no longer just an IT department issue. The EU’s NIS2 Directive, which came into force in October 2024, makes cybersecurity a matter for organizational leadership.
NIS2 expanded cybersecurity obligations to many new sectors: from energy and healthcare to digital services and public administration. One of the most significant changes is that leadership – CEOs, board members, and other senior management – are personally responsible for ensuring that the organization meets its cybersecurity obligations and oversees their implementation.
If obligations are not met, the consequences can be substantial:
- fines of up to €10 million or 2% of global turnover,
- temporary bans from serving in corporate leadership (including board members),
- corrective measures ordered by authorities.
Cybersecurity has thus risen directly to the same category as financial reporting or regulatory compliance – matters that boards have a duty to oversee.
What Does NIS2 Mean for Leadership?
NIS2 sets several requirements for leadership. Management must:
- participate in risk and security training,
- ensure that cybersecurity is part of the company’s overall risk management,
- actively monitor and guide cybersecurity work, not just approve budgets.
Leadership can no longer pass responsibility to IT. They must be able to demonstrate that cybersecurity is genuinely integrated into business management and that risks are considered at the strategic level.
How to prepare for NIS2?
Cyber threats are constantly growing, and too many organizations have been under-prepared. When responsibility shifts to senior management, cybersecurity becomes a company-wide concern – not just one team’s worry. This increases resourcing, prioritization, and above all, awareness.
In our e-book “10 things you should do based on NIS2” we share practical steps organizations can take to ensure leadership commitment and company-wide cybersecurity capability now and in the future.
Download the e-book below and find out what concrete actions your organization’s leadership should take.
