NIS Contacts & Useful links
This section provides links to relevant organisations that play a key role in the Network and Information Systems (NIS) regulations across the UK.
Department of Finance NIS Competent Authority
The Department of Finance (DoF) is a designated NIS Competent Authority and regulates Operators of Essential Services within Northern Ireland in the discharge of their duties under the Network and Information Systems Regulations 2018; in the following sectors: energy (electricity, oil and gas); transport (rail and road); health; and drinking water supply and distribution.
Information Commissioner Office (ICO) – UK Level CA for Relevant Digital Service Providers (RDSP)
The Information Commissioner is designated at a UK level for organisations defined as Relevant Digital Service Providers (RDSPs). A RDSP would provide services such as online marketplaces, online search engines and cloud computing services.
Office of Communications (Ofcom) – UK Level CA for Digital Infrastructure Services
Office of Communications (Ofcom) are designated at a UK level as the competent authority for Digital Infrastructure which are specific kinds of services such as top-level domain registration services, Domain Name System (DNS) services and Internet Exchange point (IXP) services.
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) – UK Level CA for Air transport
The Secretary of State for Transport and Civil Aviation Authority (act jointly) for the air transport sector across the UK. This subsector includes passenger airports, en-route air traffic control services, provision of services by air carriers that meet the thresholds defined in Schedule 2 of the Network and Information Systems Regulations 2018.
Civil Aviation Authority Website
Secretary of State for Transport – UK Level CA for Water Transport
The Secretary of State for Transport is responsible for the water transport sector across the UK. This subsector includes shipping in the UK for freight and passenger services subject to meeting the thresholds set out in Schedule 2 of the Network and Information Systems Regulations 2018.
Where the Secretary of State for Transport is the competent authority, the Cyber Compliance Team (CCT) in the Department for Transport will be responsible for carrying out the roles and responsibilities of the competent authority on behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport.
National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC)
NCSC support the most critical organisations in the UK, the wider public sector, industry, SMEs as well as the general public. When incidents do occur, NCSC provide effective incident response to minimise harm to the UK, help with recovery, and learn lessons for the future
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT)
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is the lead UK department responsible at for the implementation of the NIS Regulations and coordinates activities between the various competent authorities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, NCSC and GCHQ.
NI Cyber Security Centre
The NI Cyber Security Centre works to make Northern Ireland cyber safe, secure and resilient for its citizens and businesses.
The Centre focuses on ensuring that we have a better-informed society and business community to better protect their technology, systems and data from cyber attacks.
NI Cyber Security Centre Website
National Protective Security Authority (NPSA)
NPSA is the government authority for protective security advice to the UK national infrastructure. Their role is to protect national security by helping to reduce the vulnerability of the national infrastructure to terrorism and other threats.