--- title: Navigate your way to NIS 2 compliance with Acronis description: Europe’s NIS 2 Directive introduces strict cybersecurity and reporting rules. Get clear guidance and see how Acronis supports your compliance journey. canonical_url: https://www.acronis.com/en/compliance/nis2/ locale: en last_updated: 2026-10-11 --- # Navigate your way to NIS 2 compliance with Acronis Europe’s NIS 2 Directive introduces strict cybersecurity and reporting rules. Get clear guidance and see how Acronis supports your compliance journey. [View compliance mapping](https://www.acronis.com/en/compliance/report/?framework=nis2) Looking for help? ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What types of organizations need to comply with NIS 2? NIS 2 Directive is cracking down on organizations of all sizes. The standard categorizes businesses into two groups: Essential entities and Important entities. **Essential entities** are highlight critical sectors, including energy (electricity, oil, gas, etc.), transport (air, rail, water, road), banking, financial market infrastructures, health care, digital infrastructure (IXPs, DNS service providers, TLD name registries, cloud computing services, data centers) and public administration. **Important entities** are other integral industries such as postal and courier services, waste management, chemical manufacturing, food production, manufacturing (of certain critical products), digital providers (online marketplaces, search engines, social networking services) and research. ### How does NIS 2 impact managed service providers (MSPs)? [NIS 2 explicitly includes MSPs](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/nis-2-directive-everything-msps-need-to-know/) within its scope, recognizing their critical role in the supply chain of essential services. This means MSPs operating in the EU (or providing services to EU clients) must: * Comply with the directive's security measures themselves. * Implement robust cybersecurity practices, including strong backup and recovery, incident response plans, and reporting procedures. * Manage supply chain risks by assessing and ensuring their direct suppliers and sub-processors also meet security standards. * Potentially offer compliance-related services to their clients, as many organizations will look to MSPs for help in achieving NIS 2 compliance. * Face significant penalties for non-compliance, similar to other in-scope entities. ### What are the main cybersecurity requirements under NIS 2? NIS 2 mandates comprehensive cybersecurity risk management measures, falling into four main areas: * **Risk management**: Organizations must implement appropriate technical, operational and organizational measures, including policies on risk analysis, information system security, incident handling, business continuity, supply chain security, security in network and information systems acquisition / maintenance, effectiveness assessment of cybersecurity measures, basic cyber hygiene, cybersecurity training, cryptography / encryption, human resources security, access control, asset management and multifactor authentication. * **Corporate accountability**: Management bodies are required to approve, oversee, and be liable for cybersecurity risk-management measures, and must receive regular cybersecurity training. * **Reporting obligations**: Essential and important entities must have processes for prompt reporting of security incidents that have a significant impact. This includes an "early warning" within 24 hours, an initial assessment within 72 hours, and a final report within one month. * **Business continuity**: Organizations must have plans for ensuring business continuity during and after major cyber incidents, including system recovery, emergency procedures, and crisis response teams. ### Is NIS 2 compliance mandatory for small and medium businesses? Generally, no. NIS 2 compliance is not mandatory for micro and small businesses (fewer than 50 employees and less than €10 million in annual revenue). However, it can become mandatory for them in specific exceptions: * If they are deemed a "critical entity" by a Member State, regardless of size, due to their specific risk profile or criticality. * If they provide services that are considered crucial to the EU economy and society, even if small. * Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that fall into the "Important" entity category (generally 50–250 employees or €10–50 million annual turnover) are in scope. Therefore, while most micro and small businesses are exempt, it's crucial for any business, regardless of size, to assess its role within critical supply chains and its direct impact on essential services to determine if NIS 2 might apply to them or their clients. ## How does NIS 2 relate to cybersecurity? Europe’s Network and Information Systems Directive (NIS 2) aims to enhance and standardize a high level of cybersecurity across the European Union. This mandate places new security and reporting requirements on key sectors, including energy, transportation, health care, banking and other critical infrastructure industries. * [NIS 2 on cybersecurity for MSPs White paper, PDF, 1.5 MB](https://www.acronis.com/en/resource-center/resource/nis-2-directive-on-cybersecurity-for-msps/ "NIS 2 on cybersecurity for MSPs") * [Is your business ready for NIS 2?White paper, PDF, 1.5 MB](https://www.acronis.com/en/resource-center/resource/nis-2-briefing-for-businesses/ "Is your business ready for NIS 2?") ## NIS 2 cybersecurity pillars ### Risk management practices Implement systematic risk assessments and mitigation strategies across all IT systems. ### Incident prevention and detection Use advanced tools and monitoring to identify and block cyberthreats in real time. ### Incident response and reporting Establish formal procedures to respond to incidents swiftly and report significant events within 24 hours. ### Business continuity and disaster recovery Maintain tested backup and recovery plans to ensure rapid restoration of critical services. ### Supply chain security Assess and manage cybersecurity risks related to third-party providers and partners. ### Access control and identity management Enforce strict access policies, including role-based controls and multifactor authentication. ### Security awareness training (SAT) Provide ongoing training to reduce human error, a major source of cyber incidents. ## NIS 2 fines and penalties Non-compliance with NIS 2 can result in heavy fines, regulatory investigations, and legal action. Beyond the financial impact, it can damage an organization’s reputation and erode customer trust. Managed service providers may also face added pressure, as clients look to them to ensure systems and data stay compliant. ### Up to €10 million or 2% of global annual turnover Essential entities ### Up to €7 million or 1.4% of global annual turnover Important entities ## Where organizations fall short Many organizations struggle to meet NIS 2 obligations because of gaps in their security and operational practices, such as: * Lack of asset inventory or real-time visibility into systems. * Backups that are not encrypted or regularly tested. * No structured incident response or reporting process. * Gaps in employee security awareness training. * Fragmented tools with poor oversight and accountability. * Inconsistent internal policies or recovery plans. * Unclear ownership of cybersecurity duties. * Disconnected tools and no centralized incident view. ![Image 2: Many organizations struggle to meet NIS 2 obligations](https://staticfiles.acronis.com/images/content/a51450e67201df641927bc5c5232110c.png) ## How Acronis helps Acronis helps organizations meet core NIS 2 requirements with natively integrated protection with compliance-enabling solutions. See some of the ways Acronis can help you meet NIS 2 requirements. * Simplified management * Security awareness * Ransomware rollback * Disaster recovery ### Unified platform and easy-to-use console Natively integrated backup, disaster recovery, cybersecurity and endpoint management in one place that simplifies operations for IT teams and MSPs. Take advantage of clear reporting and audit trail capabilities to help you in compliance audits and maintain cyber insurance. ![Image 3: Unified platform and easy-to-use console](https://staticfiles.acronis.com/images/content/2e7ad2a6a67e8cec1a63cce211671d62.png) ### Acronis Security Awareness Training (SAT) Real-world phishing simulations and engaging user training to effectively reduce human error. Get over 200 video lessons available in eight-plus languages. ![Image 4: Acronis Security Awareness Training (SAT)](https://staticfiles.acronis.com/images/content/2ec6f6acc9fe857b83139cda16f3d5df.png) ### Business continuity with ransomware detection and rollback Get operations up and running quickly with automatic ransomware detection and rollback that is essential to ensure business continuity. ![Image 5: Business continuity with ransomware detection and rollback](https://staticfiles.acronis.com/images/content/34f364eadc8ae9423100dc51cec779c6.png) ### Award-winning disaster recovery Securely maintain the availability and integrity of valuable data and applications and rapidly restore them in the wake of unexpected downtime. Acronis One-Click Recovery enables any employee, regardless of their IT skill level, to restore their work PC from the latest backup. ![Image 6: Award-winning disaster recovery](https://staticfiles.acronis.com/images/content/c09e6b29030cde0aac76369ab14cce6c.png) Acronis Compliance Navigator ## See how Acronis helps you comply with NIS 2 [View compliance mapping](https://www.acronis.com/en/compliance/report/?framework=nis2) ## NIS 2 resources * [Datasheet Drive NIS 2 compliance for your clients with confidence](https://www.acronis.com/en/resource-center/resource/drive-nis-2-compliance-for-your-clients-with-confidence/) * [White paper NIS 2 Directive on cybersecurity for MSPs](https://www.acronis.com/en/resource-center/resource/nis-2-directive-on-cybersecurity-for-msps/) * [White paper Is your business ready for NIS 2 compliance?](https://www.acronis.com/en/resource-center/resource/nis-2-briefing-for-businesses/) * [White paper NIS 2: A guide to navigating Europe’s confusing yet powerful directive](https://www.acronis.com/en/resource-center/resource/nis-2-a-guide-to-navigating-europes-confusing-yet-powerful-directive/) * [On-demand webinar MSP compliance in the age of AI — NIS 2, cyber insurance and beyond](https://acronis.events/event/msp-compliance-in-the-age-of-ai-nis-2-cyber-insurance-and-beyond/) * [On-demand webinar Stop ransomware attacks and meet NIS 2 requirements with Acronis Cyber Protect](https://acronis.events/event/learn-how-to-stop-ransomware-attacks-with-acronis-cyber-protect-emea/)