Getting Our Own House in Order by 2028

Introduction

Municipalities face the challenge of establishing a robust and future-proof digital foundation. The VNG Digital Agenda 2028 emphasizes the importance of 'getting one's own house in order' in the areas of digitalization and information security. This goes beyond policies and rules; it requires insight, guidance, and continuous oversight of risks and dependencies.

In this blog, we explain:

• what 'getting one's own house in order' specifically means for municipalities,
• what role BIO 2.0 plays in this,
• and how RiskStudio practically helps municipalities make this demonstrable and manageable.

What does the VNG mean by 'getting one's own house in order'?

The concept of 'getting one's own house in order' encompasses a coherent whole of governance, risk management, technology, and collaboration with suppliers. It means that municipalities have insight into their digital footprint and the risks that affect it. Furthermore, it involves having an overview of suppliers and supply chain relationships, assigning clear responsibilities, and being able to provide administrative accountability based on current information. These principles are in line with the core principles of BIO 2.0.

BIO 2.0: From Checklist to Risk-Based Management

The Government Information Security Baseline, better known as BIO 2.0, marks a significant shift in thinking about information security. While previous versions were often applied as a checklist in practice, BIO 2.0 explicitly emphasizes risk-based operations. Municipalities are challenged to assess risks and tailor measures to what is truly relevant for their organization. This makes it possible to substantiate choices and demonstrably work towards digital resilience.

The Challenge: Maintaining Visibility in a Dynamic Threat Landscape

In practice, municipalities often struggle with questions about which systems and digital assets belong to the organization, which suppliers pose a risk, and how risks change over time. Without current and objective insight, it is difficult to apply BIO 2.0 in a risk-based manner. RiskStudio supports this by additionally offering an outside-in perspective on digital security.

How RiskStudio Helps Municipalities

Municipalities are increasingly dependent on digital suppliers and supply chains that are constantly changing. At the same time, demands regarding oversight, accountability, and compliance are increasing. This requires more than periodic audits or snapshots: it demands current insight into what is actually happening within the digital supply chain.

RiskStudio supports municipalities with supply chain intelligence that provides insight into digital assets, suppliers, and interdependencies. The platform automatically maps the digital footprint, including domains, subdomains, and IP addresses, thereby helping to define the scope for risk-based operations according to BIO 2.0.

Additionally, RiskStudio continuously monitors suppliers for vulnerabilities, data breaches, ransomware, and other digital incidents, among other things. This provides objective and current insight into risks developing outside the organization itself. Instead of periodic snapshots, RiskStudio offers continuous monitoring and alerting, enabling municipalities to identify and prioritize risks in a timely manner.

With CompanyReports and supplier reports, municipalities can document and substantiate these insights for management and supervisory bodies. Thus, RiskStudio supports compliance frameworks like BIO 2.0 with current supply chain insight and helps municipalities make 'getting one's own house in order' concrete and demonstrable.

BIO 2.0 and RiskStudio: Reinforcing, Not Replacing

RiskStudio does not replace BIO 2.0. BIO 2.0 provides the normative framework and guidelines for information security, while RiskStudio supports municipalities in its practical implementation. By providing current insight into digital assets, suppliers, and supply chain risks, RiskStudio helps with the risk-based application of BIO 2.0 and the substantiation of choices for management and oversight. In this way, policy and implementation reinforce each other in daily practice.

Conclusion

By combining risk-based operations with continuous monitoring and insight into suppliers and digital assets, municipalities can demonstrably get their 'own house' in order. RiskStudio supports this with current supply chain insight that helps meet the ambitions and guidelines of the VNG Digital Agenda 2028 and systematically work towards digital resilience.