Over 90% of tech leaders feel national cybersecurity strategy is not fit for purpose

An overwhelming 91 per cent of tech leaders do not think Ireland's national cybersecurity strategy is fit for purpose, according to an independent survey.

The responses from 105 IT decision-makers in the State found the recent attack on the HSE had a huge impact on how businesses view cybersecurity threats, with 88 per cent of company boards now more worried about ransomware attacks.

The survey carried out by Paradyn, one of Ireland's leading cybersecurity service providers, found almost all respondents (97 per cent) said they believe other high-profile public sector bodies will be targeted by similar attacks this year.

Ransomware tops the list of perceived cybersecurity threats, with 89 per cent identifying it as a concern, followed by phishing (64 per cent) and malware (64 per cent).

In the past year, 59 per cent of Irish organisations have experienced a phishing attack, 57 per cent had a malware attack, and 35 per cent reported incidents of spear phishing. Less than one in five noted a ransomware attack.

Despite the concerns, 52 per cent of respondents said their employees access or store company data on unsecure personal devices, and only 29 per cent said they believed their company's cybersecurity strategy delivers a high level of protection.