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NIS2 and CAF: Raising the bar on compliance – how Adoptech helps organisations keep up

Written by Dom Haughton | Jul 23, 2025 1:56:47 PM

Cyber threats are intensifying, and regulations are stepping up to match. The NIS2 directive is raising the bar for cybersecurity across the EU, especially for essential services and their supply chains, including MSPs.

While NIS2 is an EU regulation, its influence extends to the UK, particularly through alignment with frameworks like the UK’s Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF). The message is clear, compliance is not optional.

What is NIS2 and why does it matter?

NIS2 is the EU’s updated cybersecurity legislation, designed to strengthen resilience across essential digital services. It replaces the original NIS Directive and came into force in the EU in October 2024 – raising the baseline for cyber risk management and incident reporting.

Key updates include:

  • Expanded scope – covering healthcare, digital infrastructure, transport and more.
  • Tighter deadlines – security incidents have to be reported within 24 hours of awareness
  • Accountability – senior leaders can now be held liable for failures in compliance

The goal? Ensure that essential services can withstand and recover from increasing cyber threats. For many organisations, the compliance requirements represent a major operational shift from reactive measures to proactive cybersecurity.

The role of the Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF)

Although NIS2 is EU specific, its principles are mirrored in UK regulations – particularly through CAF, a framework developed by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).

CAF was originally created to help organisations meet the requirements of the first NIS Directive and it remains one of the most practical and structured approaches to assessing cybersecurity maturity.

CAFs origins and strengths are:

  • Developed by NCSC to assist NIS competent authorities in assessing cybersecurity
  • Provides a sector-agnostic, cost-effective framework for identifying and prioritising cyber improvements
  • Helps organisations manage risk, protect systems, detect incidents and minimise impact

CAF is seen as a flexible tool that can be adapted to support NIS2, making it a smart choice for organisations aiming to build compliance without starting from scratch.

NIS2 readiness

CAF doesn’t exist in a vacuum, it integrates well with other globally recognised standards that also support NIS2 objectives.

Frameworks like:

  • ISO 27001 – internationally recognised for information security management
  • CIS controls – practical steps to secure systems
  • SOC 2, Cyber Essentials and DORA – all contribute to broader cyber governance

By adopting a multi-framework approach, organisations can not only align with CAF but also strengthen their posture under NIS2, making compliance more robust, defensible and audit-ready.

Where Adoptech comes in

This is where Adoptech plays a crucial role. As a platform built to support multiple cybersecurity frameworks, Adoptech helps MSPs and their clients automate, streamline and monitor their compliance obligations.

Adoptech is designed to:

  • Support multiple-frameworks including Cyber Essentials, ISO 27001, SOC 2, DORA, and more
  • Automates up to 90% of compliance-related activities
  • Integrates with existing platforms such as KnowBe4, CyberSmart, BreathHR and Veremark
  • Provides documentation to demonstrate compliance
  • Tracks and alerts on deviations in real-time, continuously

 

By leveraging Adoptech, MSPs can standardise their compliance approach, reduce the manual burden and support clients across sectors.

The compliance burden for MSPs

MSPs and digital infrastructure providers are now formally in scope under NIS2, which means providers supporting essential sectors like healthcare, energy, transport and digital service must meet the more rigorous security and reporting requirements.

UK-based MSPs that serve EU clients, or operate across borders, cannot ignore this shift. Whether it’s NIS2, CAF, DORA or the upcoming UK Cybersecurity and Resilience Bill, regulations are all pointing towards the same thing - higher expectations and greater scrutiny.

But this also represents an opportunity. By investing in the right tools, MSPs can build competitive advantages and become trusted advisors in cybersecurity compliance.

How Adoptech supports ongoing compliance

Staying ahead of changing frameworks means building a compliance process that’s scalable, repeatable and proactive. That’s why we partnered with Adoptech, it provides:

  • A single point of truth for all of your governance, risk and compliance across multiple regulatory frameworks
  • Automated control checks to reduce manual workloads
  • Real-time dashboards for visibility and accountability
  • Internal Audits and External Audit Support

By using Adoptech, MSPs can help clients meet, monitor and maintain compliance across multiple frameworks. More importantly, Adoptech’s architecture aligns with CAF’s structured approach and supports many of NIS2’s core requirements, such as:

  • Evidence-based risk management, aligned to ISO 31000
  • Visibility into control implementation
  • Rapid response readiness

What next?

With NIS2 enforcement well underway, now is the time to act. It’s pretty clear what we’re seeing, compliance is no longer just a checkbox, it’s a strategic necessity. MSPs and their clients need to review and improve their cyber risk posture, align operations to frameworks like CAF and implement tools like Adoptech to scale compliance activities.

Regulatory frameworks are only getting tougher, but by building strong foundations now, organisations can not only stay compliant but also build trust, resilience and a competitive edge in an increasingly regulated landscape.

To find out more about Adoptech, head to our vendor page here.