Why European Cybersecurity is the New Global Standard

While the world watches, Europe is setting unprecedented standards that are rapidly becoming the benchmark for global cybersecurity practices. Much like GDPR transformed data privacy worldwide, NIS2 and the Cyber Resilience Act are reshaping how organizations think about cyber resilience, supply chain security, and critical infrastructure protection.

The Network and Information Security Directive 2 (NIS2), which came into full effect in October 2024, represents the most comprehensive cybersecurity legislation to date. Unlike its predecessor, NIS2 expands its scope dramatically:

Broader Coverage: From 3 initial sectors to 18 critical sectors including healthcare, energy, transportation, digital infrastructure, and manufacturing.

Stricter Requirements: Mandatory risk management measures, incident reporting within 24 hours, and supply chain security.

Enhanced Enforcement: Penalties up to €10 million or 2% of global annual turnover.

Executive Accountability: Personal liability for company directors and management boards.

NIS2 affects approximately 160,000 entities across the EU, including hospitals, power plants, water supply systems, transportation networks, chemical manufacturers, and digital service providers.

The Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), adopted in 2024 and entering into force progressively until 2027, tackles a critical gap: the security of digital products with digital elements.

Key provisions include:

Mandatory Security Requirements: All digital products must meet cybersecurity standards throughout their lifecycle.

Vulnerability Management: Manufacturers must actively monitor, patch, and report vulnerabilities.

Transparency Obligations: Clear disclosure of security features and update periods.

Supply Chain Accountability: Importers and distributors share responsibility for compliance.

This regulation covers everything from smart home devices to industrial control systems, creating an unprecedented level of security accountability.

In the wake of revelations about state-sponsored cyber espionage, geopolitical tensions, and concerns over data sovereignty, where your cybersecurity tools come from matters more than ever.

Organizations deploying cybersecurity solutions from non-EU countries face several challenges:

• Legal Uncertainty: Potential conflicts with foreign intelligence laws (FISA, CLOUD Act).

• Data Transfer Risks: Compliance complications under Schrems II and GDPR.

• Supply Chain Vulnerabilities: Hidden backdoors or data exfiltration risks.

• Regulatory Scrutiny: Increased audits and compliance burdens from EU authorities.

Traditional cybersecurity tools require installing software agents on every endpoint and server. This approach presents critical issues for critical infrastructure:

• Attack Surface Expansion: Each agent is a potential vulnerability point.

• Operational Disruption: Agent failures can impact critical systems.

• Performance Overhead: Resource consumption affects system reliability.

• Maintenance Burden: Constant updates, compatibility issues, and deployment challenges.

• Trust Requirements: Complete system access to foreign software components.

For hospitals operating life-support systems, power plants managing grid stability, or manufacturers running 24/7 production lines, installing intrusive third-party software is not just inconvenient—it's a liability.

This is where Hypergraph represents a fundamental paradigm shift. As a European-developed, agentless cybersecurity platform, we've designed our solution specifically for the new regulatory landscape.

Our agentless architecture means:

• Zero Installation Required: No software to deploy on critical systems. No compatibility issues with legacy infrastructure. No risk of agent failures disrupting operations.

• Non-Intrusive Security: Passive monitoring through network traffic analysis. No system modifications or performance impact. Works with operational technology (OT) and IT environments.

• Reduced Attack Surface: No additional software components to patch or update. No privileged access requirements. No agent-side vulnerabilities to exploit.

• Operational Continuity: Real-time threat detection without system interruptions. Compatible with 24/7 critical operations. No maintenance windows required for agent updates.

Being a European company building solutions in Europe provides unique advantages for NIS2 and CRA compliance:

• Regulatory Alignment: Designed with EU regulations in mind from day one. Native GDPR and NIS2 compliance. No third-country data transfer concerns.

• Data Sovereignty: All data processing within EU borders. No exposure to foreign surveillance laws. Complete control over your security data.

• Supply Chain Transparency: European-based development and support. Clear audit trails and accountability. No geopolitical dependencies.

• Trust and Verification: Subject to EU cybersecurity certification schemes. Auditable by European authorities. Aligned with European values and standards.

Hypergraph leverages cutting-edge Graph Neural Networks (GNN) to understand your infrastructure as an interconnected system:

• Relationship-Based Threat Detection: Identifying attack patterns through entity relationships.

• Supply Chain Visibility: Mapping dependencies across your digital ecosystem.

• Automated Compliance: Real-time verification of NIS2 requirements.

• Predictive Security: Anticipating threats before they materialize.

Healthcare Institutions

Hospitals and healthcare providers face unique challenges: Cannot risk agent failures on life-critical systems. Must maintain 99.999% uptime on medical devices. Handle sensitive health data requiring maximum protection. Need to comply with NIS2 as essential entities.

→ Hypergraph Solution: Agentless monitoring of medical IoT devices, patient data systems, and hospital networks without risking patient safety.

Industrial Manufacturing

Smart factories and production facilities require: Continuous operation without security-induced downtime. Protection for legacy OT systems that can't run modern agents. Supply chain visibility across hundreds of connected systems. Compliance with both NIS2 and Cyber Resilience Act.

→ Hypergraph Solution: Real-time threat detection across IT/OT convergence zones, with zero impact on production systems.

Energy and Utilities

Power plants, water treatment, and energy grids need: Protection without modifying certified control systems. Detection of sophisticated nation-state attacks. Compliance with stringent critical infrastructure regulations. 24/7 monitoring without maintenance windows.

→ Hypergraph Solution: Network-based monitoring that works with air-gapped systems and provides complete visibility without system modifications.

Public Administration

Government entities and public services must: Demonstrate digital sovereignty in security operations. Avoid dependence on non-EU security vendors. Protect citizen data with maximum assurance. Lead by example in regulatory compliance.

→ Hypergraph Solution: European-developed platform ensuring data stays within EU jurisdiction and meets the highest security standards.

While NIS2 and the Cyber Resilience Act are European regulations, their impact is global:

• Extraterritorial Reach: Any company serving EU customers or operating in EU markets must comply. Global supply chains must meet European security standards. International partners face audit requirements.

• Standard Setting: Countries worldwide are modeling regulations on EU frameworks. European standards becoming de facto global requirements. "Brussels Effect" driving worldwide cybersecurity improvements.

• Market Advantage: EU-compliant solutions preferred by global enterprises. European cybersecurity industry positioned for growth. Trust and quality associated with European standards.

Organizations seeking to achieve and maintain compliance should:

1. Assess Your Current Position: Conduct NIS2 and CRA gap analysis.

2. Map Critical Assets: Identify systems requiring protection without disruption.

3. Evaluate Solutions: Prioritize agentless, European alternatives.

4. Implement Controls: Deploy continuous monitoring and incident response.

5. Document Everything: Maintain compliance evidence for audits.

6. Train Teams: Ensure staff understand regulatory requirements.

7. Review Vendors: Audit entire supply chain for compliance.

The convergence of NIS2, the Cyber Resilience Act, and growing sovereignty concerns creates an unprecedented opportunity for European cybersecurity innovation. Organizations operating critical infrastructure can no longer afford to deploy intrusive third-country software that increases risk while trying to reduce it.

Hypergraph represents the future of cybersecurity for critical infrastructure: agentless, European, AI-powered, and designed from the ground up for the new regulatory reality. We don't just help you comply with NIS2 and CRA—we provide superior security without the operational risks of traditional agent-based approaches.

As Europe sets the global standard for cybersecurity, the question isn't whether to comply, but how to do so while enhancing—not compromising—your operational security and resilience.

The age of European cybersecurity leadership has arrived. Are you ready?