Eligible SMEs can apply for funding of 80pc of their project costs, with a maximum grant of €60,000, to employ key cybersecurity measures.
There were more than 700 confirmed cyber incidents in Ireland last year, however, none were high risk, according to the National Cybersecurity Centre’s (NCSC) annual update for 2023.
Launched today by the Minister of State, Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, Ossian Smyth TD, the report provides inputs from various government departments on their efforts in the area of cybersecurity.
The report revealed that last year the NCSC issued more than 8,000 notices to the public regarding vulnerable and exploited systems that threat actors could use to minister attacks and initiated nearly 1,400 “threat hunts”.
“This update comes as a direct response to the public’s calls for more frequent reporting, for greater insight, and transparency into the Government’s efforts in the cyber security arena,” said Smyth, who, together with the NCSC, also launched a new €2m cybersecurity “improvement” fund for SMEs today.
The NCC-IE Cybersecurity Improvement grant for SMEs is co-funded by the European Union’s Digital Europe Programme and offers smaller companies financial support to strengthen their IT systems, improve operational security, and ensure long-term protection from increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks.
Eligible SMEs can apply for funding valuing 80pc of their project costs, with a maximum grant of €60,000.
“This funding is a strategic investment in the security of Ireland’s growing small businesses,” said Joseph Stephens, the director of resilience at the NCSC.
“With cyber threats continuing to grow in sophistication, we must ensure that companies have the support to implement robust measures and protect their data, operations, and customers.”
The targets aimed through this measure align with the EU’s Network & Information Security 2 (NIS2) Directive, Stephens said. The NIS2 Directive stipulates obligations for organisations to follow in order to maintain optimal cybersecurity.
Irish businesses are increasingly under threat from cyberattacks. A report from Hiscox revealed that a business in Ireland suffers from an average of 58 cyberattacks every year while a PwC report highlighted that only 28pc of Irish companies have “robust” cybersecurity measures in place.
“Irish businesses, especially SMEs, are increasingly vulnerable to cyber threats. This grant will empower them to take meaningful steps towards securing their operations, which is critical in today’s digital economy,” said Smyth.
The current National Cybersecurity Strategy (NCSS), aimed at better protecting Government data and critical national infrastructure was published in 2019, running its course in 2024. It follows its predecessor, the first such strategy in Ireland published in 2015.
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