Belgium is a country that heavily relies on critical infrastructure to keep its economy and society running smoothly. As a result, ensuring the security and resilience of this infrastructure is critical. The European Union has taken steps in recent years to improve cybersecurity measures across member states, including Belgium.
The Network and Information Systems (NIS) Directive, for example, establishes cybersecurity requirements for operators of essential services and digital service providers. NIS1 and NIS2 are two levels of the Belgian Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS) system that are relevant to the NIS Directive's implementation.
NIS 1 directive NIS1 is the first level of the NUTS system in Belgium, and it corresponds to the entire country. The NIS Directive requires member states to appoint a national competent authority (NCA) to oversee the directive's implementation. The NCA is the Federal Public Service Economy in Belgium. The NIS Directive also requires member countries to identify operators of essential services (OES) in industries such as energy, transportation, and healthcare. OES are required to implement appropriate security measures and report to the NCA any incidents that have a significant impact on their services.
NIS 2 directive In Belgium, NIS2 is the second level of the NUTS system, corresponding to the country's regions. The NIS Directive requires member states to appoint a regional competent authority to ensure the directive's implementation. The designation of the competent authority in Belgium is the responsibility of the regional authorities. In addition, the NIS Directive requires member states to identify digital service providers (DSPs) that provide services in the EU, such as cloud computing and online marketplaces. DSPs must implement appropriate security measures and notify the relevant competent authority of any incidents that have a significant impact on their services. Belgium's implementation Belgium implemented the NIS Directive in 2019 with the passage of the Belgian Cybersecurity Act. The act designates the authorities in charge of implementing the directive at the national and regional levels. It also defines the sectors and services that are considered essential, as well as digital services. To ensure the security and resilience of their networks and information systems, OES and DSPs must implement appropriate security measures such as risk assessments and incident management. They must also report any significant incidents to the appropriate competent authority.
The NIS Directive and its implementation in Belgium through the NIS1 and NIS2 regulations are critical in ensuring the security and resilience of the country's critical infrastructure. The designation of competent authorities, the identification of OES and DSPs, the requirement for appropriate security measures, and the requirement for incident reporting are all necessary measures to prevent and respond to cyber incidents that may have an impact on the essential services and digital services provided to Belgian citizens.