Remember that sinking feeling when someone first mentioned becoming NIS2 compliant? The endless documentation, the complex requirements, the seemingly overwhelming process ahead? We’ve been there. And while everyone’s talking about NIS2 compliance, not many are sharing their actual journey. Time to change that.

We’re opening up our playbook and documenting our NIS2 compliance process. No sugar-coating, no corporate speak – just honest insights into how we’re tackling this as a DevOps team.

NIS2 Compliance: beyond ticking boxes

Let’s be real – as a managed service provider handling critical systems, we need to comply with NIS2. That’s simply part of the deal. But there’s more to it than just ticking boxes.

Think about security practices and system management – these aren’t new concepts for technical teams. Most likely, you’re already doing a lot of things right. That’s exactly how we see it: NIS2 isn’t about turning everything upside down, it’s about strengthening and documenting what you’re already doing well.

NIS2 meets DevOps: the automated approach

Here’s a common compliance scenario: massive documentation requirements, rigid processes, and teams drowning in paperwork. Sounds like ISO 27001 standards, exactly what you need to be NIS2 compliant in Belgium. But who says we can’t automate that? We’re focusing on automating our documentation and audit trails wherever possible. The goal? Getting to a point where we can generate compliance reports with minimal manual intervention.

Take audit logging, for example. Instead of manually tracking admin access and actions, you can automate the process. When incidents occur, everything gets documented in a ticketing system. From there, we can automatically generate reports based on filled-in fields and timelines. No more scrambling to piece together what happened when – it’s all there, ready when you need it.

NIS2 Implementation: breaking down the beast

The best part of our NIS2 journey? We don’t need to tackle it alone. Being part of the Cronos group has its perks. Our cluster organization OECO is supporting us through this NIS2 compliance journey. Their approach? It feels surprisingly… well, DevOps-like.

Every two weeks, they provide us with manageable work packages, transforming that intimidating compliance matrix into digestible pieces. Think of it as turning a monolithic application into microservices – suddenly everything feels more manageable.

Don’t have a supporting cluster organization? No problem. The key lesson still applies: break down the compliance matrix into manageable chunks and create quick feedback loops. Start with what you know and gradually build from there. The faster you can spot and fix issues, the smoother your compliance journey will be.

NIS2 Success: Finding Your Champions

Let’s talk about the human side of compliance for a moment. Having the right people drive your NIS2 journey can make or break the process. In our DevOps teams, we’ve found that successful compliance adoption isn’t about appointing a single “compliance person” – it’s about finding people who naturally connect security with daily operations.

Look for team members who get excited about both security and automation. They’re the ones who ask “How can we automate this?” instead of “Where do we file this report?” These are your natural champions – they’ll keep the momentum going while ensuring everyone stays engaged.

Most importantly? They understand that good security should make things easier, not harder. They’re the bridge between complex requirements and practical solutions that people actually want to use.

We’re just getting started with our NIS2 compliance story. In our next blog, we’ll dive into a specific challenge: implementing Privileged Access Management (PAM) solutions for NIS2 compliance. We’ll share our evaluation process, decisions made, and lessons learned along the way.