WEALTH June 11, 2026 0 Comments

Irish Businesses Are Sitting Ducks: Why Cyber Resilience Isn’t Just an Option Anymore—It’s Survival or Extinction.

Ever wonder why cyber threats seem to multiply faster than you can say “password123”? This week, Dublin played host to a gathering of over 50 of Ireland’s sharpest business minds, IT leaders, and risk pros, all wrestling with a pressing question: how do we stay two steps ahead of hackers who get craftier by the minute? The event, From Threat to Action: Cyber Resilience for Irish Businesses, led by Leaf IT and Dublin Chamber, wasn’t just another tech talk. It hammered home a tough truth — cybersecurity isn’t just an IT department headache anymore; it’s a full-on boardroom battleground. With jaw-dropping stats like a 389% surge in credential compromises and less than half of businesses able to bounce back from an attack within 48 hours, it’s clear that the game has changed. The message? Businesses need more than just tools; they need sharp insight and smart strategy around identity security, user behavior, and recovery readiness if they want to keep their doors open when the inevitable hits. Let’s dive into how Irish organizations are gearing up for this high-stakes security showdown. LEARN MORE

Business leaders from across Ireland gathered in Dublin this week to discuss the growing cybersecurity risks facing organisations and the practical steps needed to improve resilience against increasingly sophisticated attacks.

More than 50 senior executives, IT leaders and risk professionals attended the event, From Threat to Action: Cyber Resilience for Irish Businesses, hosted by Leaf IT in partnership with Dublin Chamber.

The breakfast briefing focused on the evolving cyber threat landscape and featured presentations from cybersecurity specialists at eSentire, Mimecast, OpenText and Leaf IT.

A key theme throughout the event was the need for cybersecurity to be treated as a boardroom issue rather than solely an IT responsibility.

Speakers stressed that cyber resilience now forms a critical part of overall business risk management.

Delegates heard that a relatively small proportion of employees can create the majority of cyber risk within an organisation, highlighting the importance of security awareness training, identity protection and human risk management as businesses increasingly adopt AI technologies.

New threat intelligence presented by eSentire revealed a 389% year-on-year increase in credential access and account compromise incidents, underlining how cyber criminals are increasingly targeting employee identities as a route into organisations.

The challenge of recovering from a cyber attack was also highlighted.

Research presented by OpenText found that fewer than half of organisations would be able to restore basic business operations within 48 hours of a cyber incident, raising concerns about business continuity planning and recovery preparedness.

Andrew Johnston, Managing Director of Leaf IT, said many organisations remain vulnerable despite growing awareness of cyber threats.

“The threat landscape continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, and what was clear from today’s discussions is that many organisations remain exposed in practice – particularly around identity security, user behaviour and recovery readiness,” he said.

“For many businesses, the starting point is not more tools, but better visibility, understanding critical business processes, specific cyber risks and the recovery capabilities”.

The event forms part of Leaf IT’s ongoing commitment to helping organisations across Ireland strengthen their cyber resilience.

Leaf IT’s expert team helps organisations understand their risk exposure and prioritise the controls and processes that matter most.

Photo: Andrew Johnston, Managing Director at Leaf IT, Steven Wood, Director, Sales Engineering at OpenText, Manny Leon, Senior Territory Manager at eSentire, Hannah Beastant, Sales and Marketing at Leaf IT, Rachel Morrow Senior Sales and Marketing at Leaf IT, Darryl Heanen, Technical Director at Leaf IT, David Tweedale, Head of MSP Channel, UK & Ireland at Mimecast and Stephen Browne, Head of Public Affairs at Dublin Chamber.