Standards Comparison

    REACH

    Mandatory
    2007

    EU regulation for chemicals registration, evaluation, authorisation, restriction

    VS

    23 NYCRR 500

    Mandatory
    2017

    New York regulation for financial services cybersecurity.

    Quick Verdict

    REACH mandates chemical safety across EU supply chains for market access, while 23 NYCRR 500 enforces cybersecurity for NY financial entities. Companies adopt REACH to sell in Europe; Part 500 to avoid fines and protect operations.

    Chemical Safety

    REACH

    Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 on REACH

    Cost
    €€€
    Complexity
    Medium
    Implementation Time
    18-24 months

    Key Features

    • Shifts burden of proof to industry for hazard data
    • Mandatory registration for substances over 1 tonne/year
    • Authorisation regime for SVHCs to drive substitution
    • EU-wide restrictions on unacceptable chemical risks
    • Supply-chain SDS and Article 33 communication duties
    Financial Services

    23 NYCRR 500

    23 NYCRR Part 500 Cybersecurity Regulation

    Cost
    €€€€
    Complexity
    High
    Implementation Time
    18-24 months

    Key Features

    • Annual CISO/CEO dual-signature certification
    • 72-hour cybersecurity incident notification
    • Phishing-resistant MFA for high-risk access
    • Comprehensive third-party service provider oversight
    • Risk-based annual penetration testing requirements

    Detailed Analysis

    A comprehensive look at the specific requirements, scope, and impact of each standard.

    REACH Details

    What It Is

    REACH (Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006) is a directly applicable EU regulation establishing a comprehensive framework for managing chemical risks across their lifecycle. Its primary purpose is to ensure a high level of protection for human health and the environment by requiring industry to identify, assess, and control chemical hazards. The core approach is industry-led responsibility, shifting the burden of proof from authorities to manufacturers and importers through data generation and submission.

    Key Components

    • Four pillars: Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction.
    • Technical annexes (I-XVII) detailing data requirements, SDS rules, SVHC criteria, and lists like Annex XIV (Authorisation) and Annex XVII (Restrictions).
    • Built on principles of precaution, substitution, and no-data-no-market.
    • Compliance model relies on ECHA database submissions; no central certification but national enforcement with "effective, proportionate, dissuasive" penalties.

    Why Organizations Use It

    Legal obligation for EU market access; mitigates fines, product seizures, and market bans. Enables risk reduction, supply-chain transparency, innovation via safer alternatives, and ESG alignment. Builds stakeholder trust through SVHC communication (Article 33).

    Implementation Overview

    Phased approach: gap analysis, substance inventory, dossier preparation (IUCLID), SDS management, monitoring Annex updates. Applies to manufacturers/importers (>1 tpa), downstream users across sectors; global firms use Only Representatives. No formal certification; focuses on continuous dossier maintenance and audits.

    23 NYCRR 500 Details

    What It Is

    23 NYCRR Part 500 is the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) Cybersecurity Regulation, a prescriptive state-level mandate for financial services entities. It establishes minimum risk-based cybersecurity requirements to protect nonpublic information (NPI) and ensure operational integrity, using a risk-assessment-centric approach with phased compliance timelines post-2023 amendments.

    Key Components

    • 14 core requirements including cybersecurity program, CISO governance, MFA, encryption, asset inventories, penetration testing, third-party oversight, and 72-hour incident reporting.
    • Built on NIST CSF or equivalent frameworks; features annual CISO/CEO dual certification and five-year record retention.
    • Class A companies (>$20M NY revenue, >2,000 employees or >$1B global) require enhanced controls like independent audits and EDR.

    Why Organizations Use It

    • Mandatory for NY-licensed financial entities to avoid multimillion-dollar fines (e.g., Robinhood $30M).
    • Enhances resilience, reduces incident risk, builds stakeholder trust, and aligns with enterprise risk management.

    Implementation Overview

    • Phased roadmap: gap analysis, risk assessment, control deployment (MFA, PAM), vendor updates, testing.
    • Applies to banks, insurers, mortgage firms in NY; involves governance, tech upgrades, evidence repositories.

    Key Differences

    Scope

    REACH
    Chemicals registration, evaluation, authorisation, restriction
    23 NYCRR 500
    Cybersecurity program, governance, incident response, controls

    Industry

    REACH
    Chemicals, manufacturing, all EU supply chains
    23 NYCRR 500
    NY financial services, banks, insurers, licensees

    Nature

    REACH
    Mandatory EU regulation with national enforcement
    23 NYCRR 500
    Mandatory NY state cybersecurity regulation

    Testing

    REACH
    Dossier evaluation, substance evaluation by ECHA/MS
    23 NYCRR 500
    Annual penetration testing, vulnerability assessments

    Penalties

    REACH
    National fines, effective/proportionate/dissuasive
    23 NYCRR 500
    Multi-million fines, consent orders, license actions

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Common questions about REACH and 23 NYCRR 500

    REACH FAQ

    23 NYCRR 500 FAQ

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