North Kildare Chamber today warned its membership of the impact of Cyber Crime and the need for businesses to remain vigilant

The Chamber stated that, “The frequency of cyberattacks against Irish businesses has risen from 25% in 2012 to 44% currently, considerably higher than the global average of 32%.  According to PwC’s 2016 Irish Economic Crime survey, as well as the rate of cyberattack on Irish business almost doubling since 2012, the cost associated with cybercrime has jumped too. On-going threats include ransomware, data breaches, identity theft and fraud”.

Allan Shine, Chief Executive of the Chamber said “A lot of existing defences are no longer satisfactory, and our new ways of working pose a risk too.  Staff having access to multiple devices (laptops, tablets, smartphones etc.) and using them in various locations, not just the office, as well as the adoption of cloud-based technology, are all creating a perfect storm of vulnerabilities for Kildare businesses”.

Forward-leaning business leaders focus on solutions that reduce cybersecurity risks and improve business performance and the Chamber have organised a briefing on Cyber War and Ransomware with one of Irelands leading experts, Pat Moran, Head of Cybercrime and IT Forensics at PwC in November.

The Chamber is calling on businesses that are experiencing issues in relation to Cyber Crime to contact its offices for advice.  The policy division on the Chamber are issuing a “Policy Paper” to assist businesses in relation to Cybercrime next week.