NIS2 Art.23.5: CSIRT Assistance and Coordinated Response
What This Control Requires
The CSIRT or the competent authority shall provide, without undue delay and where possible within 24 hours of receiving the early warning referred to in paragraph 4, point (a), a response to the notifying entity, including initial feedback on the significant incident and, upon request of the entity, guidance and operational advice on the implementation of possible mitigation measures.
In Plain Language
Incident reporting under NIS2 is not a one-way street. When you file an early warning, your CSIRT is expected to respond within 24 hours with initial feedback and, if you ask for it, hands-on advice on how to contain the situation.
Too many organisations see reporting as a box-ticking exercise and miss the real benefit: access to CSIRT expertise, threat intelligence from similar incidents hitting other companies, and practical guidance that can speed up your recovery. The framework is deliberately designed to be collaborative, not punitive.
To get the most from CSIRT support, be ready to share technical details when asked, act on their recommended mitigations, and feed back on what worked. The more you engage, the better the support you will receive.
How to Implement
Build a relationship with your designated CSIRT before anything goes wrong. Attend their events, join information-sharing initiatives, and make sure your key people know who to call and how.
Set up internal processes so that CSIRT feedback reaches your incident response team immediately. Appoint a liaison who coordinates with the CSIRT during live incidents - someone technical enough to translate their guidance into action.
Know what to ask for. CSIRTs can provide threat intelligence on the attack methodology, containment strategies, malware analysis support, coordination with other affected organisations, and help with cross-border aspects.
Document every interaction with the CSIRT during incidents: what guidance you received, what you did with it, and what the outcome was. This feeds into your post-incident reviews and shows constructive engagement with the regulatory framework.
Set up secure communication channels for exchanging sensitive technical information - encrypted email, secure file sharing, or a dedicated incident coordination platform. Make sure anything you share aligns with your information classification policy.
Get involved in CSIRT-coordinated activities like vulnerability disclosures, threat advisories, and sector exercises. These build capability and strengthen the working relationship you will rely on during real incidents.
Finally, give the CSIRT feedback on how useful and timely their support was. It helps them improve and shows your organisation takes the collaborative model seriously.
Evidence Your Auditor Will Request
- CSIRT contact details and established communication channels
- Internal procedure for receiving and acting on CSIRT guidance
- Records of CSIRT interactions during incidents
- Documentation of CSIRT guidance received and actions taken in response
- Evidence of participation in CSIRT-coordinated activities
Common Mistakes
- Organisation treats incident reporting as a one-way obligation and does not engage with CSIRT support
- No process for routing CSIRT guidance to the incident response team in a timely manner
- Secure communication channels not established for exchanging sensitive incident information
- Organisation does not request CSIRT assistance even when it would be beneficial
- CSIRT guidance received but not acted upon or documented
Related Controls Across Frameworks
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the CSIRT obligated to help us during an incident?
Will information we share with the CSIRT be kept confidential?
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