Cybersecurity compliance: a complete guide to GDPR, DORA, ISO 27001 and NIS 2

Key regulations and standards to master: GDPR, DORA, ISO 27001 and NIS 2

GDPR: protecting personal data

GDPR, which came into application in 2018, requires every company operating within the European Union to guarantee the protection of personal data. This regulation has transformed the way organisations collect, process and store data.

Main obligations:

• Keep a record of processing activities.
• Base each processing activity on one of the six legal bases of Article 6 (consent is one of them; it must be explicit only in certain cases, such as sensitive data).
• Implement technical and organisational security measures (encryption, pseudonymisation).
• Notify data breaches within 72 hours.

DORA: digital operational resilience regulation

The DORA regulation, designed specifically for the financial sector, focuses on the resilience of digital systems against cyber threats. It requires banks, insurers and other financial institutions to put security management systems in place to guard against cyberattacks.

DORA’s requirements include:

• The assessment of digital risks.
• The obligation to test the resilience of critical systems regularly.
• The implementation of contingency plans in the event of major incidents.

ISO 27001: information security management standard

ISO 27001 is an international standard that specifies the requirements for an information security management system (ISMS). It enables companies to structure and improve their practices for managing risks and protecting sensitive information.

Its benefits for companies:

• Systematic management of security risks.
• Continuous improvement of security processes.
• Greater trust from customers and partners thanks to a recognised certification.

NIS 2: securing essential and important entities

The NIS 2 Directive (Network and Information Security) was adopted to strengthen the security of networks and information systems within the European Union. It applies to essential and important entities, classified according to their sector (energy, transport, health, water, digital, etc.) and their size.

The companies concerned must:

• Identify and assess cybersecurity risks.
• Put appropriate technical and organisational measures in place to protect their critical systems.
• Report cybersecurity incidents to the competent authorities.

How to steer your cybersecurity compliance strategy effectively

Use a SaaS solution to simplify compliance

SaaS (Software as a Service) solutions dedicated to cybersecurity and compliance offer significant benefits for companies that want to centralise and simplify the management of their regulatory obligations. These tools enable CISOs (Chief Information Security Officers) and DPOs (Data Protection Officers) to steer their compliance strategy effectively.

The benefits of a SaaS solution:

• Centralisation of security audits, risk management and action plans.
• Real-time tracking of compliance and security indicators.
• Automation of compliance processes to meet GDPR, DORA, ISO 27001 and NIS 2 requirements.
• Easier collaboration between the various business teams and external stakeholders.

Risk management and security audits

To maintain lasting compliance, it is essential to implement proactive risk management. This includes regular audits to identify vulnerabilities, assess threats and adjust security policies accordingly.

Audits must cover:

• The IT infrastructure.
• The data management processes.
• The security policies in place.

A SaaS solution can automate these audits and provide dashboards that make it possible to track how risks evolve over time.

Steering cybersecurity at group level

Large companies often have to coordinate several entities within a group. To do so, it is crucial to have an overall view of cybersecurity at group level. A collaborative tool makes it possible to:

• Coordinate compliance and security actions at global level.
• Centralise information and reports.
• Track the actions of the various entities.

Tools to maintain cybersecurity compliance

Audit and risk management tools

Using specialised risk management and audit tools helps companies become more efficient. These tools are able to:

• Carry out automatic analyses of the IT infrastructure.
• Identify potential vulnerabilities.
• Prioritise corrective actions according to risk.

Tracking and documentation tools

Documenting and tracking corrective actions are crucial to demonstrating compliance. A good practice is to use tools that automate:

• The tracking of security breaches and incidents.
• The generation of compliance reports.
• The documentation of risk response processes.

Dashboards and reports for senior management

CISOs and DPOs must provide visibility to the company’s executives. Clear dashboards and periodic reports are essential to:

• Track the compliance and cybersecurity KPIs.
• Show the progress that has been made in terms of security and risk management.

Key players in cybersecurity compliance

The CISO’s role

The CISO plays a central role in the management of security and compliance. The CISO is responsible for:

• The definition of security policies.
• The management of compliance audits.
• The implementation of incident management plans.

The DPO (Data Protection Officer)

The DPO ensures that the organisation complies with GDPR. The DPO is in charge of:

• Monitoring compliance with GDPR in the processing of personal data.
• Advising the company on data protection best practices.
• Working with the CNIL (the French data protection authority) and the other competent authorities.

Involving business teams in compliance

Cybersecurity is not only a matter for IT teams. HR, marketing, finance and other departments must be made aware of what is at stake in security. A SaaS solution makes it possible to:

• Facilitate collaboration between business teams and security teams.
• Centralise relevant information for better communication.

Working with external experts

External consultants and auditors in cybersecurity bring complementary expertise. They help to identify weaknesses that have gone undetected and to improve the overall security strategy of the company.

Best practices to maintain cybersecurity compliance over the long term

Put a Supplier Security Assurance Plan (SSA) in place

The Supplier Security Assurance Plan (SSA) is the contractual document in which a provider describes the security measures it applies on behalf of its client, and commits to maintaining them. Requiring an SSA from your providers makes it possible to:

• Know the security measures applied to the service.
• Check that they cover your security requirements.
• Monitor their implementation over time.

Collaboration between business and cybersecurity teams

For a company to remain compliant over the long term, it is indispensable to build cybersecurity into the organisation’s culture. This requires the active collaboration of the various teams:

• HR, to raise employee awareness.
• Marketing, to manage customer data securely.
• Finance, to comply with sector-specific regulations.

To ensure cybersecurity compliance and meet the requirements of GDPR, the DORA regulation, the ISO 27001 standard and NIS 2, it is crucial to rely on high-performing tools and a well-thought-out strategy.

The Make IT Safe platform brings these frameworks together in a single tool: risks, audits and action plans are tracked in the same place, whatever the source text. To see how a requirement shared by several frameworks is handled only once, request a demonstration.

FAQ on cybersecurity compliance