Almost half of organisations in Ireland have encountered cyber incidents in the last three years, while one in five have suffered resulting financial loss, according to new research from Microsoft Ireland.
The study found that while one-third of companies have experienced a data breach, only 14% have had to report an incident to the National Cyber Security Centre or the Data Protection Commission.
The survey was carried out by Amárach Research among 200 top decision-makers across all industry sectors in Ireland and investigated the prevalence and nature of cyber incidents.
It found that the majority of leaders fear work email compromise as the greatest cybersecurity threat and that 14% of organisations are currently using AI technology as part of their cybersecurity strategy.
According to the research, three-quarters of respondents are unaware of new EU cybersecurity laws, Network and Information Security 2 (NIS2), which come into effect in October 2024.
“Every day, Irish organisations are susceptible to and vulnerable to attack, as is evidenced by this latest piece of research,” said Microsoft Ireland National Technology Officer Kieran McCorry.
“What is clear from this study is that cyber defences in Ireland are being compromised by the lack of a comprehensive cyber defence strategy, that is lived and owned by all decision-makers within organisations,” Mr McCorry said.
“New EU laws such as NIS2 have been introduced to fast track such cyber defences across EU countries and it is imperative that Irish organisations are aware of and investing in the right infrastructure to ensure compliance,” he added.
Article Source – Around half of companies experienced a cyber incident – survey – RTE