NIS2 Cybersecurity Training: What Italian Companies Must Do by October 2026
- Solutions Consulting
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
The NIS2 Directive mandates cybersecurity training for employees, managers, and executives. Here's what you need to know, the deadlines to meet, and how to comply.
EU Directive 2022/2555, known as NIS2, implemented in Italy with Legislative Decree 138/2024, has introduced a radical change in cybersecurity management for Italian organizations. Among the numerous requirements, mandatory cybersecurity training for staff is one of the most concrete and urgent—yet it is still underestimated by many companies.
In this article, we explore who must be trained, what training is required, by when, and the consequences of non-compliance.
Who is required to take NIS2 Cybersecurity training in Italy?
The training requirement applies to all organizations classified as essential or important entities under the NIS2 Directive. In Italy, this scope includes companies and public bodies operating in strategic sectors such as:
Energy and utilities
Transport and logistics
Healthcare and health care facilities
Digital infrastructure and IT services
Public administration
Finance and banking services
Waste and water management
Food production
Postal and courier services
Critical manufacturing sector
But the impact doesn't stop there. NIS2 also imposes requirements on supply chain security : IT service providers, Managed Service Providers (MSPs), and companies operating in the supply chain of obliged entities are affected indirectly, and often directly.
This means that even Italian SMEs that provide services to NIS2 entities must equip themselves, starting with staff training.
What does NIS2 provide in terms of training?
The Directive is very clear on two key points.
A. Training for employees
All staff must be trained to recognize and manage the most common cyber threats. The topics specified by the regulation as mandatory include:
Recognizing phishing and social engineering
Secure use of email, devices, and cloud services
Password management and multi-factor authentication
Cyber incident reporting procedures
Protection of personal and corporate data
Daily digital hygiene
B. Training for managers and management bodies
NIS2 introduces an important innovation: board members and managers are personally responsible for overseeing cybersecurity measures. Article 20 of the Directive stipulates that management bodies must:
Understanding the regulatory framework and sanctions implications
Approve and oversee the cyber risk management plan
Understand incident management procedures and notification flows
Understanding your role in cybersecurity governance
A manager who fails to train and refuses to invest in safety without understanding the implications can be held personally liable .
Deadlines to be met in 2026
2026 is a crucial year for the full operation of NIS2 in Italy. Here are the dates to mark:
Expiration | Obligation |
From January 1, 2026 | Mandatory reporting of incidents to CSIRT Italy (pre-alert within 24 hours, full notification within 72 hours) |
April – May 2026 | Annual update of data, assets and contacts on the ACN portal |
By October 31, 2026 | Full implementation of basic security measures, including training |
From October 2026 | ACN launches inspection and audit activities |
The training requirement will therefore be fully operational by October 2026, but it is essential to start now: structuring a training plan takes time, and the ACN has already begun verifying that organizations are preparing for it.
What are the penalties for those who do not comply?
The sanctions provided for by NIS2 are among the most severe ever introduced in the cybersecurity field in Europe:
Essential entities : fines of up to 10 million euros or 2% of annual global turnover
Important entities : fines of up to 7 million euros or 1.4% of annual global turnover
In addition to financial penalties, the ACN may order:
The obligation to take corrective measures under supervision
Temporary suspension of activities
Temporary ban on performing managerial functions for non-compliant managers
How to structure a NIS2 compliant training plan
An effective and "defensible" training plan in the event of an audit must contain:
Purpose and scope – who needs to be trained and why
Differentiated content — separate paths for employees, IT representatives and managers
Delivery methods — in person, videoconference or e-learning
Periodicity — training is not a one-off event, but an ongoing process
Learning assessment — tests or assessments at the end of each course
Documentation — attendance certificates, attendance registers, training reports
Formal approval — the plan must be approved by the Board of Directors or equivalent body
Documentation is essential: in the event of an audit or incident, the company must be able to demonstrate that it has trained its staff in a structured and traceable manner.
The training courses we offer: from basic to advanced level
Solutions Consulting has developed a specific training program for NIS2 compliance, delivered by certified trainers, designed to meet the needs of SMEs, public bodies, and large companies throughout Italy.
NIS2 Basic Training — Cybersecurity Awareness for Employees
An 8-hour course (one day or two half days) aimed at all company personnel. It covers the fundamentals of cybersecurity: phishing, social engineering, password management, digital hygiene, incident reporting procedures, and data protection.
At the end, a certificate of attendance is issued detailing the course content, hours, teacher qualifications, and the outcome of the learning assessment.
NIS2 Training for Managers and Management Bodies
A 4-hour course for boards of directors, executives, data protection officers, and department heads. It addresses the NIS2 regulatory framework, executives' personal responsibilities, cybersecurity governance, reporting obligations, and sanctions implications.
Advanced NIS2 Training — Operational Cybersecurity for IT Professionals
A 16-hour (2-day) course for IT managers, system administrators, and security professionals. It includes security architecture, vulnerability management, incident response with operational playbooks, log management, applied cryptography, supply chain security, and a hands-on incident scenario exercise.
All courses are delivered in Italian , in person at the client's premises or via synchronous videoconference, with materials, handouts, and assessment tests included.
Why start now?
Waiting until October 2026 to comply with the NIS2 formation is a risky strategy for three reasons:
ACN is already checking that organizations are preparing
Structuring a training plan takes time —from content selection to board approval.
In the event of an incident , the lack of documented training greatly aggravates the organization's position, even before the formal deadline.
Training isn't just a regulatory requirement: it's the most concrete measure to reduce cyber risk related to the human factor, which remains the primary vulnerability of any organization.
Book a free consultation
Want to know if your company falls under the NIS2 scope? Do you need to structure a compliant training program? Want to train your staff with certified courses?
Solutions Consulting supports companies and public entities throughout Italy with integrated cybersecurity training services, NIS2 consulting, and external CSIRT support.
Schedule a free call with our experts and find out how we can help you comply with NIS2 before the deadlines.
Solutions Consulting — Cybersecurity, Training, and NIS2 Compliance for Italian companies. Services provided nationwide by e-learning self-paced modules.
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