Almost one in five Irish firms experienced a cyber attack or data breach in 2022, according to a new survey.
The study from professional services firm Aon shows that large companies with more than 250 employees are more at risk.
According to the research, 35% of firms have provided cyber security training to employees which is down from the levels seen in 2021, when 40% of employees were provided with cyber security training.
More than two-thirds of Irish firms said they plan to invest more in cyber security and resilience in the coming years.
Around 72% of firms with more than 250 employees said they plan to increase their spending on cyber security.
The survey of 228 senior business leaders from companies across Ireland shows that cyber is now the fourth biggest business risk facing Irish organisations today.
“Far too often, successfully managing cyber risk only becomes a priority after a cyber incident has occurred,” said Karl Curran, Head of Aon’s Cyber Solutions Ireland and Nordics.
“Despite the majority of Irish firms planning to invest more in cyber security and resilience in the coming years, more than a quarter of Irish business leaders don’t have any plans to invest more in cyber security and resilience in the near future,” Mr Curran said.
Aon Ireland says businesses should review their cyber security posture and take a strategic approach to managing cyber risk that is informed by data.