This Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Enterprise Defence warns that Ireland’s biggest cyber risk isn’t a sophisticated hacker – it’s the inbox every employeeuses every day.
Ireland recorded 7,781 valid data breaches in 2024, an 11% rise on the previous year, and
half were caused by simple email errors such as misdirected messages. In the first half of
2025 alone, more than 138,000 Irish accounts were exposed in global data breaches – a
70% increase on early 2024. At the same time, the National Cyber Security Centre
confirmed 721 incidents, with over 300 serious enough to require full investigation.
A leading Irish financial services firm learned this lesson first-hand in 2025, when attackers
used stolen staff logins and weak email security to steal nearly 400,000 sensitive files. The
breach led to exposed customer data, regulatory intervention, and reputational damage –
proof that email remains the easiest doorway into a business.
“Email is essential to Irish business – and it’s also the easiest way in for attackers” – said Ross Palmer, CEO of Enterprise Defence. Palmer further added “When almost half of breaches can be traced back to email, leaders cannot afford to treat cybersecurity as a purely technical problem. Protecting the inbox is protecting the business.”
Enterprise Defence recommends five immediate steps for Irish businesses:
- Enable phishing resistant MFA;
- Deploy DMARC, SPF and DKIM to block spoofed mail;
- Add a pause-and confirm step before sending sensitive data or invoices;
- Train staff in short, frequent sessions;
- Check that suppliers meet basic email security standards.
From invoices and contracts to HR files and payments, the inbox underpins daily business
across every sector. That reliance makes it a prime target – and when compromised, the
consequences are financial, regulatory, and reputational.
“As we start Q4 in 2025, cyber risk is business risk. Preparing today costs far less than cleaning up tomorrow.”– Palmer concluded.
