Introduction
Municipalities face the challenge of setting up their digital base in a solid and future-proof manner. The VNG Digital Agenda 2028 emphasizes the importance of having one’s “own house in order” in terms of digitization and information security. This goes beyond policy and rules; it requires insight, steering and continuous monitoring of risks and dependencies.
In this blog, we explain:
- What “own house in order” means concretely for municipalities,
- What role the BIO 2.0 plays in this,
- and how RiskStudio practically helps municipalities make it demonstrable and manageable.
What does the VNG mean by “own house in order”?
The concept of “own house in order” encompasses a coherent set of governance, risk management, technology and collaboration with suppliers. It means that municipalities understand their digital footprint and the risks affecting it. It also involves having an overview of suppliers and chain relationships, assigning clear responsibilities and being able to provide managerial accountability based on up-to-date information. These principles are in line with the core principles of the BIO 2.0.
BIO 2.0: from checklist to risk-based steering
The Government Information Security Baseline, better known as BIO 2.0, marks an important shift in thinking about information security. Whereas earlier versions were often applied in practice as a checklist, BIO 2.0 more explicitly emphasizes risk-based working. Municipalities are challenged to assess risks and tailor measures to what is actually relevant to their organization. This makes it possible to substantiate choices and demonstrably work on digital resilience.
The challenge: maintaining visibility into a dynamic threat landscape
In practice, municipalities often struggle with questions about which systems and digital assets belong to the organization, which vendors 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 providing an outside-in perspective on digital security.
How RiskStudio helps municipalities
Municipalities are increasingly dependent on digital vendors and chains that are constantly changing. At the same time, requirements around oversight, accountability and compliance are increasing. This requires more than periodic audits or snapshots: it requires up-to-date insight into what is actually happening within the digital 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, helping to define the scope for risk-based working according to BIO 2.0.
In addition, RiskStudio continuously monitors suppliers for vulnerabilities, data breaches, ransomware and other digital incidents, among other things. This provides objective and up-to-date insight into risks that develop outside of your own organization. Instead of periodic snapshots, RiskStudio provides ongoing monitoring and signaling, allowing municipalities to recognize and prioritize risks in a timely manner.
With CompanyReports and supplier reports, municipalities can record these insights and substantiate them to boards and regulators. In this way, RiskStudio supports compliance frameworks such as BIO 2.0 with up-to-date supply chain insights and helps municipalities make “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 standards framework and guidelines for information security, while RiskStudio supports municipalities in its practical implementation. By providing up-to-date insight into digital assets, suppliers and chain risks, RiskStudio helps with the risk-based application of BIO 2.0 and the substantiation of choices towards management and supervision. In this way, policy and implementation reinforce each other in daily practice.
Conclusion
By combining risk-based working with continuous monitoring and insight into suppliers and digital assets, municipalities can demonstrably bring their ‘own house’ in order. RiskStudio supports this with up-to-date supply chain insight that helps meet the ambitions and guidelines of the VNG Digital Agenda 2028 and work structurally on digital resilience.
