WEALTH June 11, 2026 0 Comments

Irish Businesses on the Brink: Are You Ready to Survive the Cyberstorm That’s Coming?

Here’s a riddle for you: If your business’s most valuable asset isn’t your product or service, but the digital identities of your employees, then who’s really in charge of cybersecurity? This week in Dublin, some of Ireland’s sharpest business brains and IT gurus convened to wrestle with just that question—because cyber threats aren’t waiting politely outside the boardroom door any longer. At the “From Threat to Action: Cyber Resilience for Irish Businesses” briefing, over 50 senior execs and risk pros dug deep into the explosive rise in cyberattacks targeting employee credentials—a staggering 389% surge, no less—and put the spotlight on identity protection, human risk management, and why cyber resilience must become a top-tier business priority, not just an IT checkbox. But here’s the kicker: fewer than half of organizations believe they could bounce back from an attack within 48 hours. Ouch. So what’s the play? According to Andrew Johnston of Leaf IT, it’s not about piling on more tools—but gaining crystal-clear visibility into where the real risks lie and tightening up recovery capabilities before disaster strikes. If you think cybersecurity is someone else’s problem, think again—because in today’s hyper-connected world, it’s the boardroom’s business, plain and simple. 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.