How NIS2 impacts your software vendors - and what you must verify now
With NIS2 now in force, vendor security is no longer optional.
NIS2 has officially taken effect across Europe, and for many organisations, the biggest impact isn’t internal - it’s in the software vendors and digital suppliers they depend on every day.
Under the new Directive, organisations must prove that the vendors in their software stack meet minimum security standards, support incident reporting, enable transparency, and maintain a risk posture aligned with NIS2 obligations.
In other words:
Your vendors can now make or break your compliance.
Here’s what that means in practice - and what every organisation must verify now.
1. Vendor security standards are no longer “good to have” - they’re mandatory
NIS2 requires companies to evaluate whether software vendors have:
- Sufficient security controls
- Vulnerability management processes
- Clear incident reporting procedures
- Account and access governance
- Business continuity measures
If a vendor cannot demonstrate these, the risk shifts back to you, legally and operationally.
This applies to software, infrastructure tools, integrations, niche platforms, and even small third-party services.
2. Vendor documentation must be complete, up to date - and traceable
Gone are the days of verbal assurances or old PDFs.
Under NIS2, organisations must be able to show:
- Documented supplier evaluations
- Up-to-date security certifications (ISO 27001, SOC 2, etc.)
- Evidence of risk tiering
- Clear justification for onboarding each vendor
- Audit-ready documentation for procurement decisions
If it isn’t documented, it doesn’t count.
3. High-Risk tools require additional checks
NIS2 expects companies to identify and treat “high-risk” vendors differently.
These typically include tools that:
- Access sensitive or operationally critical data
- Handle authentication or identity
- Support infrastructure operations
- Have high integration complexity
- Impact business continuity
For these vendors, security posture, uptime guarantees, and incident response capabilities must meet stricter standards.
4. Contracts now need NIS2-aligned clauses
Procurement and legal teams must ensure that vendor agreements include:
- Security requirements
- Incident reporting expectations
- Termination conditions
- Audit and transparency rights
- Obligations for downstream suppliers
- Clear shared responsibility models
Many organisations will discover their current contracts fall short - especially renewals signed before 2023.
5. Vendor assessments must be ongoing, not one-off
NIS2 shifts responsibility from static compliance to continuous governance.
This means organisations must:
- Reassess vendors regularly
- Track changes in risk posture
- Revalidate certifications
- Monitor vendor incidents
- Update documentation proactively
Once per year is no longer enough.
Why this matters now
Because NIS2 is in force.
Audits, enforcement, and supervisory expectations are expected to ramp up in 2025 - and the organisations that haven’t evaluated their software vendors will be the first to feel the pressure.
If your vendor list includes dozens or hundreds of software tools (as most companies do), this becomes a major operational challenge.
But it’s also an opportunity.
Companies that build a transparent, well-governed vendor ecosystem now will be more resilient, more secure, and more efficient long-term.
Want to learn exactly what NIS2 requires - and how to assess your vendors?
👉 Join our upcoming expert-led webinar:
NIS2 in Practice: How to assess vendors, document risks & meet the regulation with ease.
In this session, you’ll learn:
- What NIS2 requires immediately
- Which vendor obligations matter most
- How to run NIS2-aligned supplier risk assessments
- What your vendor documentation must contain
- The contract clauses you must update in 2025
- And how to turn compliance into operational resilience
If NIS2 affects your organisation, this is the session you can’t afford to miss.
