NIS2 and data centres: The role played by intelligent Bachmann PDUs
NIS2 in the Data Center: Enhanced Cybersecurity
NIS2 is significantly raising cybersecurity requirements for data centers. Operators of critical and important infrastructure must place greater emphasis on IT security, risk management, resilience, and supply chain security. BACHMANN is responding to this development by strategically expanding its cybersecurity and compliance structures; the company views these new requirements not merely as a regulatory obligation, but as a key driver for secure, future-proof data-center infrastructure.
NIS2 Sets Higher Standards for IT Security
With NIS2, the European Union has significantly expanded the legal framework for cybersecurity across Europe. The goal is to better protect companies and organizations against cyberattacks, system failures, and other security incidents, while simultaneously boosting the resilience of vital digital infrastructure. In Germany, the relevant provisions were transposed into national law by the end of 2025. The new BSI Act entered into force on December 6, 2025, defining requirements for—among others—"particularly important" and "important" entities.
The focus is not solely on individual technical security measures. Companies must adopt a holistic approach to information security and implement appropriate technical, operational, and organizational measures.
These include, for example:
- Risk analysis and security concepts
- Security incident management and reporting
- Business continuity and crisis management
- Supply chain security
- Security during the procurement, development, and maintenance of IT systems
- Assessment of security measure effectiveness
- Employee training and awareness-raising
- Access controls and secure authentication
- Use of appropriate cryptographic methods
This makes it clear: NIS2 affects more than just software and networks within the network. What truly matters is the interplay of all components and processes required for the reliable operation of the IT infrastructure.
Why Data Centers Are a Key Focus
Data centers form the technical backbone of numerous digital business processes. Cloud services, enterprise applications, communication systems, production data, and digital platforms all rely on their reliable availability. Consequently, an outage can have far-reaching consequences. Beyond financial losses, critical services may be impaired or grind to a complete halt. The requirements for a modern data center therefore extend far beyond mere computing power. Availability, resilience, and cybersecurity are becoming central criteria for planning and operations.
The NIS2 directive further reinforces this trend. Companies must systematically identify risks, implement protective measures, and design their infrastructure to prevent security incidents—or at least limit their impact—wherever possible. In this context, BACHMANN pursues a holistic approach: security is considered at every level, from the physical infrastructure to the IT components deployed.
BACHMANN Views NIS2 as a Strategic Driver
For BACHMANN, NIS2 represents more than just a regulatory requirement. In many respects, the directive’s requirements align with the company’s own commitment to secure, robust, and future-proof infrastructures.
This approach is gaining particular importance in the Data Center Solutions sector, where BACHMANN focuses on four key aspects:
- Holistic Security Perspective:
Security requirements are not viewed in isolation. Physical infrastructure, power supply, IT components, and their interconnectivity must function as an integrated system. - High System Availability:
Reliable infrastructure forms the foundation for business continuity. Systems and components must be designed to minimize risks to ongoing operations. - Security-by-Design:
Security requirements should be incorporated during the product and solution development and design phases, rather than being added as an afterthought. - Support for Regulatory Requirements:
Technical solutions can help companies establish appropriate security and monitoring structures and implement regulatory requirements within their infrastructure.
Particularly in the sensitive environment of data centers, how a product integrates into the overall security and operational concept is becoming increasingly relevant alongside its performance capabilities.
Power Supply as Part of Resilient Infrastructure
When thinking of cybersecurity, many people first consider firewalls, virus scanners, access controls, or network monitoring. However, the power supply also plays a crucial role in data center availability. Servers, network components, storage systems, and other IT devices require a continuous and controllable power supply. At the rack level, Power Distribution Units (PDUs) handle this task in server rooms and data centers. A PDU distributes the supplied electrical energy to the individual IT components within the server rack. Depending on the model, however, its functionality extends well beyond simple power distribution.
Intelligent Power Distribution Units (PDUs), for instance, can capture electrical measurements, monitor status conditions, and provide information over the network. This makes them a vital component of energy and infrastructure management within the data center. Continuous monitoring enables operators to detect anomalies at an early stage and analyze the power supply in a targeted manner. At the same time, the data can be utilized for capacity planning, maintenance, and optimization.
Intelligent BACHMANN PDUs for Modern Data Centers
With its Data Center Solutions, BACHMANN offers a range of PDU solutions tailored to the diverse requirements of server rooms and data centers. The portfolio spans from passive "Basic" IT PDUs for reliable power distribution to intelligent solutions in the BlueNet and BN PRO series.
The BACHMANN BN PRO Metered, for instance, enables measurement at the phase level and—depending on the specific configuration—at the circuit breaker. Measurement data and information can be retrieved from the PDU via the network and utilized for infrastructure management. For communication purposes, the controller features two physically separate network ports. Furthermore, the communication module can be powered redundantly to ensure higher availability—for example, via a PoE switch or an adjacent PDU.
Additional variants, such as the BN PRO Metered+, allow for measurement at the individual outlet level. This enables even more detailed monitoring of the energy consumption of specific connected devices. Depending on the model and configuration, these units offer functions that go far beyond those of a standard power strip, enabling transparent monitoring of the power supply within the rack.
Monitoring Supports Availability and Risk Management
A key aspect of the NIS2 directive is systematic risk management. Operators must be aware of potential threats to their infrastructure and implement appropriate measures to mitigate these risks. Monitoring plays a vital role in this process. Continuous monitoring of infrastructure status allows for faster detection of changes and prompt responses. In the realm of power distribution, intelligent PDUs can provide data on power consumption and load levels, for example.
Depending on the system used, additional monitoring functions may also be available. Residual Current Monitoring (RCM) is of particular interest for server rooms and data centers, as it helps detect changes and fault currents at an early stage. In this way, the infrastructure not only supports reliable operation but also establishes a superior data foundation for maintenance, capacity planning, and security strategies.
However, an important point to note is this: a PDU alone does not, of course, make a company NIS2-compliant. Rather, it is one component of a comprehensive technical and organizational security concept.
BACHMANN Solutions for Modern Data Centers
BACHMANN offers various solutions from the BN PRO series to meet diverse requirements regarding monitoring, power distribution, and availability. BN PRO Metered+ enables detailed energy measurement down to the individual outlet level. Variants featuring RCM (Residual Current Monitoring) also support continuous monitoring of residual currents. With BN PRO Switched, individual outlets can additionally be switched and controlled remotely.
This allows operators to transparently monitor power distribution in the server room and select a PDU solution tailored to their IT infrastructure's specific needs. These intelligent PDUs serve as a key component in a holistic strategy for availability, resilience, and IT security.
Security-by-Design Instead of Retrofitted Security
A core principle at BACHMANN is "Security-by-Design." The aim is to embed security into a product or infrastructure right from the start. This approach is particularly relevant for data centers. While the increasing interconnectivity of technical components offers significant advantages for monitoring, control, and automation, it also expands the number of potential interfaces. Consequently, security considerations should be factored in during the planning phase for intelligent PDUs, sensors, management systems, and other network components.
In addition to functionality, factors such as secure communication channels, user and access rights, update capabilities, and integration into existing security frameworks play a crucial role. For networked BACHMANN BlueNet PDUs, relevant IT security mechanisms have long been part of the standard feature set. These include, for example, encrypted HTTPS communication as well as options for assigning access rights and ensuring secure network access. This highlights a fundamental shift in power distribution: the traditional power strip in a server cabinet is increasingly evolving into a networked infrastructure component within intelligent systems.
NIS2 Also Focuses on the Supply Chain
Another key change introduced by NIS2 concerns supply chain security. Companies are expected to look beyond their own infrastructure and consider security risks arising from suppliers, service providers, and the products they use. Consequently, selecting suitable manufacturers and partners is becoming increasingly important for data center operators. In addition to a product's technical specifications, factors such as origin, product quality, long-term availability, update and support structures, and transparent processes can serve as important criteria.
In this landscape, BACHMANN positions itself as an independent, medium-sized company with in-house development and value creation based in Europe. The company views this as a distinct advantage—particularly for sensitive infrastructure—in terms of flexibility, technical expertise, and a commitment to compliance. As a result, the choice of infrastructure components is increasingly becoming a strategic decision.
Resilience and Business Continuity Are Becoming More Important
Ultimately, NIS2 pursues a central goal: making companies and critical infrastructure more resilient to security incidents. For data centers, resilience means ensuring that critical systems remain available—or can be rapidly restored—even in the event of a disruption. This entails redundant systems, clearly defined emergency procedures, and continuous monitoring, as well as reliable power distribution.
At the rack level specifically, intelligent PDUs in the server room can provide greater transparency. Measurement data allows for a better assessment of utilization and energy demand, while redundant power supply concepts help minimize single points of failure. In this way, power distribution, monitoring, IT security, and business continuity become increasingly interconnected.
NIS2: An Opportunity for Future-Proof Data Centers
For many companies, the heightened requirements of NIS2 initially entail additional organizational and technical effort. At the same time, however, they offer an opportunity to fundamentally review existing structures and establish a more secure IT infrastructure for the long term. Crucially, this assessment should not stop at the network boundary. A holistic security strategy also encompasses power supply, rack infrastructure, monitoring, and the selection of suitable hardware components.
BACHMANN’s Data Center Solutions adopt precisely this approach. Secure power distribution, intelligent monitoring, high availability, and security-by-design help ensure data centers are resilient and future-proof. BACHMANN Power Distribution Units offer solutions ranging from the classic IT PDU Basic to intelligent BN PRO systems. Depending on specific requirements, power distribution, metering, monitoring, and other functions can be precisely tailored to the data center infrastructure.
In this context, the NIS2 directive makes one thing particularly clear: cybersecurity in the data center is not the task of individual components alone. It is achieved through the interplay of secure technology, clear processes, continuous monitoring, and an infrastructure designed for reliability and resilience from the very start.
