CAPTCHA for NIS2 Directive

The NIS2 Directive applies to all critical infrastructure within the European Union, covering key sectors such as energy, transport, banking, financial sector, healthcare, digital infrastructure such as network and information systems, and public administration. It also extends to so-called “important” sectors, including the manufacture, production and distribution of chemicals, food production and processing, postal and courier services, shipping, waste management, and manufacturing. Since NIS2 applies only to entities that meet certain size and activity thresholds, organizations should first assess whether the directive is applicable to them.

The NIS2 Directive, coming into effect on 17 October 2024, broadens the scope of the original NIS directive and establishes a more unified approach to cyber security risk management as well as business continuity across the European Union and its essential and important entities. It applies to highly strategic sectors, requiring organizations to adopt advanced risk management measures while introducing stricter incident reporting obligations and financial penalties for non-compliance.

As with most European directives, NIS 2 does not replace national law directly. Instead, each EU Member State must adapt its national legislation to align with NIS 2 requirements. Where national cybersecurity rules are already stricter than those set out in NIS 2, they may be retained, provided they do not conflict with the directive. Conversely, if national rules are weaker, they will need to be strengthened to meet the European standards.

A CAPTCHA (Completely Automated Public Turing Test to Tell Computers and Humans Apart) is an important element of a risk management strategy. Its primary function is to distinguish humans from bots, thereby reducing the risk of automated attacks and the misuse of services such as forms, logins, and checkouts. CAPTCHAs help protect authentication systems by preventing mass login attempts (e.g., credential stuffing or brute-force attacks) and reduce the likelihood of fraud and abuse. Most importantly in the context of NIS2, they add an extra layer of protection within a broader risk management framework that also includes secure authentication, monitoring, and incident reporting.

Friendly Captcha is an optimal CAPTCHA solution for supporting NIS2 compliance. Within the European Union, organizations are required to comply not only with NIS2 but also with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the European Accessibility Act (EAA). Given that these legal frameworks in the European Union are binding, it is essential to select a CAPTCHA solution that aligns with all applicable requirements. Friendly Captcha delivers a robust level of security while ensuring full conformity with data protection and accessibility obligations, thereby facilitating regulatory compliance and the safeguarding of digital assets.

Integrating Friendly Captcha supports NIS2 compliance by strengthening risk management, protecting sensitive data, securing authentication systems, maintaining service availability, and ensuring accessibility and user privacy. This EU-based CAPTCHA solution forms a core component of a multi-layered cybersecurity strategy for essential services and public and privates entities in the European Union.