Tag: cyber

Irish businesses must do more to assure consumers on data and cyber security

Nearly one in four Irish people has had their personal data compromised, new research from eir business reveals, highlighting low levels of consumer confidence in how companies manage and protect customer information.

The survey on the security of Irish businesses also highlighted that almost half (44%) of Irish consumers do not feel informed about how their data is used by companies, while 40% are not confident their data is safe.

These results offer insights into the prevalence of cybercrime for everyday consumers, and the role Irish businesses can play in safeguarding data and alleviating customer concerns.

Alongside the survey, eir business (formerly eir evo) has revealed a new corporate identity, reflecting the evolution of the B2B telecoms and IT service provider.

The eir business/Amarách survey highlights concern about how businesses manage the security and transparency of vital personal information.

This vulnerability is reflected in the fact that only 16% of people are confident that Irish businesses are protecting their personal information. Older generations are even less likely to feel comfortable with the security of their online data, with 51% of 55–64-year-olds not trusting businesses to protect their information.

While artificial intelligence (AI) solutions are often suggested for data management, almost half (45%) of those surveyed are still unsure of what benefits AI might bring when dealing with business. However, the expectation of faster (30%) and cheaper (26%) service, alongside 24/7 availability (32%) as a result of AI business processes were highlighted.

Susan Brady, Managing Director of eir business: “Businesses across Ireland are operating in a time of rapid and complex digital change, and consumers are rightly asking for greater protection, greater transparency, and partners they can trust.

“This research highlights that expectation clearly. People want confidence that their data is safe, that companies are accountable, and that technology is being used responsibly. Meeting those expectations isn’t optional, it’s now a core requirement for every organisation.

“As we transform from eir evo to eir business, our focus is on bringing that clarity and confidence to the market. We’re here to give businesses secure, managed solutions they can rely on, supported by the scale, expertise and engineering depth that sits at the heart of this organisation. “Our mission is to make the complex feel effortless, to help organisations stay protected against emerging threats, and to empower them to grow and thrive in a digital-first Ireland.”

Oliver Loomes, CEO of eir, added: “The findings of this research send a clear message: customers want greater transparency, stronger protection of their data, and partners they can trust. As Ireland’s digital economy accelerates, businesses of every size are facing rising expectations and increasing complexity.

“Our rebrand to eir business reflects both the scale of this opportunity and our commitment to meeting these needs head‑on. By uniting the full strength of eir’s networks, technology and expertise, we are positioned to deliver the secure connectivity, cloud, and cybersecurity solutions that organisations rely on to operate with confidence. This is a pivotal moment in our evolution, one that strengthens Ireland’s digital resilience and supports our purpose to Connect for a Better Ireland.”

Staying Ahead of the Threat: The Future of Cyber Defense

What’s your plan when your Wi-Fi suddenly dies during a Zoom call? Restart the router? Blame your service provider? Panic a little? Now, imagine that instead of a frozen screen, your company’s internal data system crashes because of a silent, fast-moving cyberattack. Not so funny anymore.

Today’s digital world doesn’t wait. Neither do cyber threats. They move with speed, precision, and sometimes, eerie silence. Breaches no longer come with flashing red lights or alarms. Most slip in quietly, linger, and then strike with force. The gap between threat and response has become the defining line between resilience and disaster.

In this blog, we will share how cybersecurity has shifted from reaction to readiness, why velocity matters more than ever, and what forward-thinking companies are doing to stay ahead of attackers who’ve swapped brute force for stealth and strategy.

Why Instant Response Is the Only Response That Matters Now

Here’s the blunt truth: if your defense strategy depends on finding the threat after it shows itself, you’re already behind. Modern cyberattacks are designed to strike without leaving obvious clues. By the time traditional defenses raise a flag, the damage has often been done.

That’s why tools like Heimdal’s EDR solution have become indispensable. It doesn’t just detect known threats. It hunts for anomalies, responds autonomously, and learns from each attempt to get smarter. It plugs directly into a broader ecosystem of threat intelligence, giving organizations a 360-degree view of their digital environment.

Think of it like this: traditional antivirus is like locking your front door. Heimdal’s approach is like having security guards, cameras, motion sensors, and a rapid-response team trained for every possible break-in—all operating in real time.

More importantly, this kind of system works quietly in the background. It doesn’t need constant babysitting. And it doesn’t rely on a human noticing something’s off. In today’s world, waiting for someone to click “scan for threats” is like locking the barn after the horse has bolted.

One global retail chain recently avoided a six-figure breach because their threat monitoring system flagged a remote access attempt from an unfamiliar device. Within seconds, it blocked the attempt, flagged the user account, and alerted the IT team. They never had to shut anything down. Customers were unaffected. That’s what modern defense looks like.

The Bigger Picture: Trust, Downtime, and the Cost of Being Slow

Cybersecurity is no longer just an IT issue. It’s a business issue. And a trust issue. Consumers today aren’t forgiving. A single breach can kill a brand’s reputation overnight. Just ask any major company that’s been in the headlines for leaking personal data. Recovery is slow, public confidence is slower.

Then there’s the cost. IBM notes in its Cost of a Data Breach Report that the average global breach cost $4.45 million in 2023. That number climbs if the attack affects regulated industries like healthcare or finance.

But here’s the real kicker: much of that cost comes not from the attack itself, but from the time it takes to detect and contain it. The longer you wait, the worse it gets. This is why fast, proactive protection isn’t just a feature. It’s a business necessity.

And yet, many companies still treat cybersecurity like a seatbelt they only buckle once they’ve seen an accident. In an era where ransomware gangs offer customer support (yes, that’s real), hesitation is an open invitation.

From Passive Monitoring to Active Defense: What Modern Systems Do Differently

The best protection doesn’t wait. It predicts.

Instead of scanning for known threats once a day, modern systems continuously analyze behavior. That weird file you downloaded? The strange login at 2 a.m.? The sudden spike in CPU usage? These aren’t ignored—they’re investigated immediately.

Today’s top platforms combine several functions into one: antivirus, patch management, access controls, threat intelligence, and more. They don’t operate in silos. They share insights and trigger automated actions, reducing the time between detection and resolution to near-zero.

This integrated model also removes friction. IT teams don’t have to juggle five dashboards or hop between tools. They get alerts that matter, not noise. And they can respond without wasting time figuring out where the threat came from.

It’s not about replacing humans. It’s about giving them superpowers.

What You Can Do Now: Building a Speed-Oriented Cyber Mindset

So, how can you keep up?

First, review your current tools. Are they reactive or proactive? Do they stop at detection or go further? Take a hard look at what each solution actually does in practice, not just what the vendor promised in the brochure.

Second, look at integration. If your antivirus doesn’t talk to your firewall, and your firewall ignores your threat logs, you have blind spots. The attackers won’t miss them. Every second counts, and fragmented systems slow down your ability to act fast and effectively.

Third, educate your team. The best tools in the world won’t help if an employee clicks on a phishing link. But education must go beyond a once-a-year PowerPoint. Make it a habit. Keep people aware. Create a security culture where everyone understands that fast action is part of their job, too.

Fourth, automate where you can. Manual incident response is too slow. Build workflows that isolate devices, flag accounts, and shut down access when red flags appear. Automation doesn’t replace your team—it gives them the speed they need to stay ahead.

Fifth, audit your response time. Run simulations. Can you detect, assess, and respond to an incident in under 30 minutes? If not, that’s your benchmark. If you’re not testing regularly, you’re gambling with your downtime and customer trust.

Remember, cybersecurity is not about perfection. It’s about preparedness. The faster you respond, the smaller the damage. It’s a race—and the attackers aren’t slowing down.

The future of digital protection isn’t locked behind a firewall or buried in a policy document. It’s active, alert, and always learning. The goal isn’t to eliminate risk. That’s impossible. The goal is to get faster than the threat. The companies who realize this now won’t just survive the next breach. They’ll barely feel it. And while others scramble to catch up, these organizations will be moving forward, uninterrupted.

Tozi marks Anti-Bullying Week with social campaign to support young people online

Tozi, the anti-bullying and cyber-safety app developed by Vodafone Foundation, in collaboration with DCU Anti-Bullying Centre and the ISPCC, is marking Anti-Bullying Week (wc 10 November) with a new social media campaign: Supporting Young People in the Digital World.

The campaign aims to empower young people to recognise, respond to, and rise above bullying and is launched as recent ESRI research shows that 62% of 13-year-olds reported experiencing at least one bullying behaviour in the past three months, while one in ten Tozi users have activated the app’s SOS feature in the last year, connecting them directly to Childline via call or chat —demonstrating the importance of a trusted digital space and the need for quick, seamless access to support 24/7.

At the heart of the campaign is a short video featuring two girls exploring Tozi’s “Beat Bullying” module, sharing their thoughts on the app and how it helps them navigate online challenges with confidence.

Tozi:

In 2022, The Vodafone Ireland Foundation developed and launched Tozi, a free app to combat cyberbullying and promote online safety among children and young people. Since its launch, Tozi has had over 20,000 downloads, and is currently being rolled out across Europe following the Irish success.

It offers a content library with advice on handling online challenges, a private journaling space with a feeling’s tracker, and direct access to Childline through the SOS feature for 24/7 support.

The ESRI research also found that 37% of 13-year-olds faced repeated incidents, with online bullying and name-calling among the most common forms, while children targeted at age nine were more likely to be bullied again at age thirteen, underlining the need for early intervention.

Expert Perspective:
The Irish Girl Guides have been a Vodafone Foundation partner since 2023, working to provide lessons on digital skills to older people through the Hi Digital initiative. The Irish Girl Guides work closely with young people across Ireland and see firsthand the challenges girls face online. Their experience underscores the urgent need for resources like Tozi, which aims to empower and protect young people in the digital world.

Speaking on the growing issue of online bullying, Irish Girl Guides Tir na nÓg Leader and Programme and Training Commissioner, Róisín Mills, said:

“As a Leader with the Irish Girl Guides, I worry about the impact social media is having on the girls in my Unit. I see them becoming more disengaged, and I’ve witnessed the effects of online bullying and the pressure to present a perfect image. That’s why we run activities focused on body image, cyber-security, and smart surfing—giving our members the tools to stay safe and confident online. We’re realistic about phone use and guide the girls to use technology in a positive, informed way. Creating a safe space for these conversations is vital, and I believe it’s making a real difference.”

Tozi doesn’t just teach users what bullying is — it shows them how to stand up, speak out, and support each other in the moments that matter most.

Tozi is available for free download on the App Store and Google Play. Learn more at https://www.to-zi.com/

Building Cyber Resilience in the AI era: Five ways Irish organisations can stay ahead

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping the cybersecurity landscape across Ireland. While it’s unlocking new efficiencies and accelerating innovation, it’s also giving cybercriminals new evasive tools to launch faster and more sophisticated attacks. Across Ireland, organisations are navigating a new era of cyber risk defined by speed, sophistication, and AI.

As Dell Technologies continues to work closely with Irish businesses to modernise their digital infrastructure, it’s clear that cybersecurity must evolve in tandem, as a strategic enabler of trust and resilience. Threat actors are using AI to enhance ransomware, zero-day vulnerabilities, Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) all making advanced spear-phishing much harder to identify, outpacing conventional security measuresAccording to the latest Dell Technologies Innovation Catalyst Study, 84% of Irish organisations view security as a key part of their business strategy, yet many continue to struggle with balancing innovation and security.

Almost all respondents (96%) admitted that integrating security into wider business strategies is proving difficult. These figures highlight that organisations must rethink their cybersecurity strategies to adopt proactive, intelligent, and resilient approaches that keep pace with the evolving threat environment.

Here are five ways to stay resilient against cyber threats:

1.Adopt zero trust for AI Security 

As threat actors use AI to scout, steal credentials and adapt attack techniques, traditional perimeter-based defenses fall short.

That’s why more Irish organisations are adopting a Zero Trust model built on the principle of “never trust, always verify” ensuring that every user, device, and application is continuously authenticated, regardless of location.

The benefits are clear, latest Innovation Catalyst Study revealed a 100% increase in confidence levels among Irish organisations that have adopted zero trust principles, underscoring its growing value as a security framework. By implementing zero trust principles organisations can help reduce risk by continuously verifying every access request and implementing strict authentication processes. Using role-based access controls (RBAC) and network segmentation, organisations can minimize the risk of an attack and reduce the impact radius if an attack occurs.

Zero trust is more than a security philosophy. It’s a unified and adaptive strategy for identity and access management. Through a zero trust approach, organisations not only reduce their attack surface, but also strengthen their ability to detect, respond to and contain threats.

2.Reduce the attack surface

In an environment where AI-powered threat actors are constantly probing for weaknesses, reducing the attack surface is a critical line of defense. Every exposed endpoint, unsecured API, or overlooked supply chain vulnerability represents an opportunity for adversaries to infiltrate systems, deploy malware and exfiltrate sensitive data.

To mitigate these risks, Irish organisations should begin with assessing and understanding their attack surface and related vulnerabilities. From there, they should have a layered defense strategy focused on securing entry points and minimising exposure. This includes strengthening authentication, encrypting data, regularly testing for vulnerabilities and actively monitoring endpoints. Keeping systems patched and devices hardened further limits risks.

By reducing the attack surface, organisations make themselves a harder target, thereby decreasing the likelihood of an attack.

3.Continuously detect and respond to threats

AI-powered attacks are capable of mimicking legitimate behavior and evading traditional security tools, and organisations need to combine advanced threat detection with rapid response capabilities.

Leveraging AI and machine learning, organisations can monitor operational data, detect anomalies, and trigger automated responses in real time.

This AI-powered threat intelligence system builds upon itself, making it smarter and better able to identify and address attacks.

For many Irish organisations who need assistance scaling threat detection and response. Partnering with a trusted third-party provider offers round-the-clock monitoring, faster reaction times, and support in managing complex security operations. Dell Technologies continues to invest in AI-driven security solutions that help Irish organisations stay ahead of emerging threats while simplifying operational complexity.

4.Plan an incident response and recovery plan

While prevention is often the first step to a cybersecurity strategy. A strong cybersecurity strategy includes not only prevention, but also a well-defined plan for response and recovery.

Organisations here in Ireland need to create and routinely practice a robust Incident Response and Recovery (IRR) plan that outlines how to detect, contain, communicate and recover from cyber incidents. The plan should outline departmental roles and responsibilities, internal and external contacts and partners, communication protocols and include regular testing. Preapproved messaging templates and routine plan updates are also essential to maintaining operational continuity during a crisis.

Backing up critical data and applications offline or separated from production workloads helps guard it against ransomware attacks and ensures business continuity.

By preparing for disruption, Irish organisations can restore critical functions with resilience, speed, and confidence.

5.Empower employees as a first line of defense

Technology alone isn’t enough; employees remain the most critical line of defense.  Organisations here in Ireland needs to create a culture of vigilance through employee awareness programmes that integrates continuous education, open communication, real-world simulations, and a culture of shared accountability. For example, incorporating attack simulations that reflect AI-specific threats like advanced phishing and deepfakes helps equip employees to recognise and respond to evolving threat actor tactics.

Collaboration across the technology ecosystem also plays a vital role in strengthening cyber resilience. Dell Technologies, together with partners like NVIDIA, is helping organisations better understand how AI-driven attacks evolve.

NVIDIA’s new AI Kill Chain Framework reimagines the traditional Cyber Kill Chain for the AI era, outlining how adversaries target AI systems through stages such as Recon, Poison, Hijack, Persist, and Impact — often cycling through these stages to adapt and escalate their tactics. This framework offers valuable insights into how attackers’ probe, manipulate, and maintain access within AI ecosystems, helping defenders anticipate and disrupt evolving threats before they lead to broader compromise.

As threat actors evolve using AI to launch increasingly sophisticated attacks, organisations must respond with equal force and foresight. Traditional defenses alone are insufficient. A modern cybersecurity strategy demands a proactive, layered approach that integrates advanced technologies, incident response planning, and a vigilant workforce.

As we mark Cybersecurity Awareness Month, it’s an important reminder that AI is transforming both the opportunities and the risks facing Irish businesses, making it more critical than ever to invest in continuous vigilance, awareness, and adaptation. By embedding resilience at every level of their cybersecurity strategy, Irish organisations can better safeguard their operations and lead with confidence in an increasingly AI-driven world.

Dell Technologies Data Center Breakthroughs Power Smarter, Faster and More Secure Private Clouds

Dell Technologies announces significant private cloud infrastructure advancements to help customers manage both traditional and modern workloads with greater speed, efficiency, and security.

Why it matters

Many IT teams struggle to handle the demands of both traditional and modern workloads while dealing with rising costs, evolving virtualization needs and vendor lock-in concerns. Organizations are adopting disaggregated private clouds built with virtualization-optimized compute, storage and cyber resilience solutions that provide greater flexibility, choice, and control over their data.

Dell Private Cloud, delivered through the Dell Automation Platform with on-premises and SaaS deployment options, helps customers easily automate, scale and manage private cloud deployments using their preferred cloud OS stack and Dell disaggregated infrastructure including PowerStore, PowerFlex, and PowerMax. Customers can use AI-driven automation for infrastructure management and monitoring.

Additionally, integration of Dell NativeEdge into the Dell Automation Platform provides a full stack solution optimized to simplify and secure operations across distributed cloud and edge environments.

Storage and cyber resilience are key to any private cloud. Dell is introducing significant innovations in these areas to help customers build smarter, faster, and more secure private clouds.

Dell PowerStore adds QLC model and Nutanix Cloud Platform integration

Dell PowerStore delivers simple, enterprise-grade, high-performance storage tightly integrated with modern virtualization platforms and adaptable for containerized environments. The Nutanix Cloud Platform solution will soon support Dell PowerStore, combining Dell’s trusted storage innovation with Nutanix’s cloud operating model to meet customer demand for greater choice and control in how they deploy infrastructure.

PowerStore’s latest hardware and software advancements deliver greater cost-efficiency, AI-accelerated automation and enhanced resiliency.

  • Enterprise performance, lower costs: PowerStore 5200Q offers high-capacity performance with the economics of QLC flash, flexible scaling over 23Pbe per cluster and optimized workload placement through integration with existing PowerStore clusters.
  • Software-driven security and resiliency: Improve enterprise security and resiliency with built-in anomaly detection, single sign-on and biometric authentication, HashiCorp key manager support and replication over fibre channel.
  • AI-powered self-healing: Cut issue resolution time by 90%1 through automated health checks and repairs powered by Smart Support Auto-Heal functionality.

 

Dell PowerFlex provides efficient petabyte-scale storage consolidation   

Dell PowerFlex, the industry’s most resilient software-defined block storage2, offers flexible, software-defined storage that scales linearly and features deep virtualization and Kubernetes integrations. The PowerFlex Ultra release introduces the Scalable Availability Engine (SAE) which drastically simplifies workload management and reduces costs with improved efficiency and reliability.

 

  • Reimagining software-defined storage: PowerFlex’s Scalable Availability Engine (SAE) is built on a native block, fully distributed, erasure-coded architecture that delivers breakthrough storage efficiency, resiliency, and scalability for software-defined data centers. 
  • Extreme storage efficiency: Achieves up to 80% storage efficiency3 with over 50% reduction in physical storage footprint4, allowing organizations to store more data in less space while lowering costs and power consumption.
  1. Data availability and resiliency: Delivers up to 10x9s of data availability with the ability to tolerate up to two node failures simultaneously, ensuring enterprise workloads remain operational even during hardware failures while maintaining data integrity across large-scale deployments.

Dell PowerMax provides mission-critical performance, automation, and security

Dell PowerMax offers mission critical storage with enterprise-class scalability, automation, and resiliency with broad integrations for virtualized environments and full Kubernetes CSI support for container workloads. Software advancements deliver up to 25% greater performance5, advanced automation and enhanced security for mission-critical environments.

  • Enhanced automation: Free up IT teams to tackle higher-value tasks with features like 1-click software updates in less than 6 seconds6, zero-touch management installs and the ability to achieve up to a 66% reduction in steps for replication mode changes7.
  • QLC support: PowerMax 2500 introduces QLC drive support for capacity-intensive workloads while delivering flexible single-drive scaling from 122TB to 8.8PBe per array.
  • Advanced security: The world’s most secure mission-critical storage8 platform now includes features like Single Sign-On with Microsoft Entra ID and encrypted email alerts to ensure the highest standards of data protection and compliance.

Dell PowerProtect helps organizations build a cyber resilient foundation for modern data centers

Dell PowerProtect offers cyber resilience for virtual, cloud-native, and containerized workloads across data centers and every major public cloud, helping ensure rapid recovery to keep businesses running without disruption. The latest appliance and software innovations help organizations reduce their attack surface, detect and respond to threats and quickly recover from cyber incidents.

  • Entry-level appliance, enterprise-level security: The new PowerProtect Data Domain DD3410 is a compact solution for remote offices and smaller environments with exceptional data reduction capabilities, grow-in-place scalability from 8 to 32 TBu and advanced security to keep data safe. The appliance supports a broad partner and backup software ecosystem and native integration with Dell PowerStore and PowerMax.
  • Unified cyber resilience experience: The new PowerProtect Data Manager Appliance is a modern, software-defined solution that delivers centralized management for consistent operations. It enhances cyber resilience with enterprise-grade protection, including anomaly detection, data immutability, and integrity to safeguard against disruptions and threats. The Data Manager Appliance is the best way to achieve cyber resilience with Dell PowerProtect.

 

“At Dell Technologies, we’re empowering our customers with solutions that not only meet today’s IT challenges but also anticipate tomorrow’s needs,” said Travis Vigil, senior vice president, ISG Product Management, Dell Technologies. “Our latest storage and cyber resilience advancements are designed to help organizations build private clouds that are smarter, more secure and ready to handle the demands of both traditional and modern workloads.”

“With our Nutanix Cloud Platform soon supporting Dell PowerStore, we will be giving customers a new choice in how they architect their virtualized environments,” said Thomas Cornely, senior vice president, Product Management at Nutanix. “This integration will deliver an enterprise-grade solution that meets today’s demands for flexibility, while allowing organizations to build confidently with Dell infrastructure.”

“Organizations today face the dual challenge of managing traditional and modern workloads while navigating rising costs and evolving IT demands,” said Simon Robinson, principal analyst, Enterprise Strategy Group, now part of Omdia. “Dell’s latest advancements in storage and cyber resilience provide a comprehensive and flexible foundation for disaggregated private cloud environments, empowering businesses to achieve greater efficiency, security and scalability across their IT operations.”

Additional Resources

HP Report Unveils Critical Gaps in Printer Platform Security

HP Wolf Security has released a new report – Securing the Print Estate: A Proactive Lifecycle Approach to Cyber Resilience – highlighting the challenges of securing printer hardware and firmware (platform security), and the implications of these failures across every stage of the printer’s lifecycle. Based on a global study of 800+ IT and security decision-makers (ITSDMs), the findings show that platform security is being overlooked, leaving concerning security gaps.

Exploring four lifecycle stages, the report reveals that during the Ongoing Management stage, just 28% of UK ITSDMs apply firmware updates promptly. This is despite IT teams spending 4 hours per printer per month managing hardware and firmware security issues. Failure to promptly apply firmware updates to printers unnecessarily exposes organisations to threats that could lead to damaging impacts, such as cybercriminals exfiltrating critical data or hijacking devices.

Further security gaps revealed across the other stages of the printer’s lifecycle include:

Supplier Selection & Onboarding stage: 

  • Lack of procurement collaboration: Only 34% of UK ITSDMs say procurement, IT, and security collaborate to define printer security standards – with 63% warning that this lack of collaboration puts their organisation at risk.
  • RFPs going unchecked: 47% of UK ITSDMs fail to involve IT/security teams in vendor presentations; 57% fail to request technical documentation to validate security claims; and 58% fail to submit vendor responses to security teams for review.
  • Inability to verify the printer’s integrity: Once the printer arrives 51% of ITSDMs cannot confirm if the printer has been tampered with in the factory or in transit.

Remediation stage:

  • Inability to detect and remediate threats:  Many organisations are struggling to keep on top of patching devices. Only 31% of UK ITSDMs globally are able to identify vulnerable printers based on newly published hardware or firmware vulnerabilities, not to mention zero-day threats that are unknown to the vendor or the public.  Only 35% can track unauthorised hardware changes made by users or support teams, and only 30% of ITSDMs can detect security events linked to hardware-level attacks.
  • Not just cyber – print risks are physical too: 66% of UK ITSDMs are increasingly worried about offline threats, such as employees printing and mishandling sensitive company information.

Decommissioning and Second Life stage

  • End of life risk: 88% of UK ITSDMs say data security is a barrier to printer reuse, resale or recycling – a big problem, given that on average ITSDMs report having approximately 103 printers that are redundant or are in the process of being decommissioned within their organisations.
  • Lack of confidence: ITSDMs lack confidence in current sanitisation solutions, with 37% saying they are uncertain whether printers can be fully and safely wiped. Meanwhile, more than 1-in-4 (28%) believe it’s necessary to physically destroy printer storage drives, and nearly 1-in-10 (9%) insist on destroying both the device and its storage drives to ensure data security.

“Printers are no longer just harmless office fixtures – they’re smart, connected devices storing sensitive data,” warns Steve Inch, Global Senior Print Security Strategist at HP Inc. “With multi-year refresh cycles, unsecured printers create long-term vulnerabilities. If compromised, attackers can harvest confidential information for extortion or sale. The wrong choice can leave organisations blind to firmware attacks, tampering or intrusions, effectively laying out the welcome mat for attackers to access the wider network.”

The report offers recommendations on how to address these security challenges across the printer’s lifecycle, including:

  • Ensure IT, security and procurement teams collaborate effectively to define security and resilience requirements for new printers.
  • Require and leverage manufacturer provider security certificates for products and / or for supply chain processes.
  • Apply firmware updates promptly to minimise exposure to security threats.
  • Leverage security tools to streamline printer policy-based configuration compliance.
  • Deploy printers that can continuously monitor for zero-day threats and malware with the ability to prevent, detect, isolate and recover from low-level attacks.
  • Select printers with built-in secure erasure of hardware, firmware and stored device data to enable safe second life and recycling.

“By considering security at each stage of a printer’s lifecycle, organisations will not only improve the security and resilience of their endpoint infrastructure, but also benefit from better reliability, performance, and cost-efficiency over the lifetime of their fleets,” comments Boris Balacheff, Chief Technologist for Security Research and Innovation at HP Inc.

For further insights and recommendations, download the full report “Securing the Print Estate: A Proactive Lifecycle Approach to Cyber Resilience” here.

Building Digital Resilience: Strategies for Security Teams Under Pressure

As digital infrastructures expand, so too does the scope of risk. Enterprises no longer contend solely with perimeter breaches or isolated phishing attacks; they face a constantly shifting threat landscape shaped by geopolitics, emerging technologies, and the growing sophistication of adversaries. Security leaders are under pressure to adapt—not just reactively, but strategically.

Building resilience requires more than a solid firewall or frequent employee training. It’s about anticipating, responding, and recovering in a way that minimizes disruption and safeguards long-term operations. But doing so demands that cybersecurity programs mature beyond static controls and embrace continuous learning, contextual awareness, and intelligent prioritization.

Bridging the Gaps Between Risk, Strategy, and Action

Many organizations maintain a separation between risk governance and technical security operations. Compliance frameworks dictate controls, audits verify their implementation, and risk registers get updated annually. Meanwhile, security teams operate on a different cadence—responding to alerts, patching vulnerabilities, and investigating anomalies as they occur.

This disjointed approach leads to blind spots. Executives believe risk is under control because a framework has been followed. Security teams, however, may be aware of threats or attack paths that aren’t reflected in the documentation—or even properly understood by other departments.

Bridging this gap requires more than cross-functional meetings. It calls for a shared understanding of risk that is both technical and strategic. Security leaders must be fluent in the language of business impact, while decision-makers must recognize that cyber risks evolve faster than annual review cycles allow. When technical realities and business goals are misaligned, even a well-funded cybersecurity program can falter.

The Role of Contextual Awareness in Cyber Threat Intelligence and Incident Response

Security incidents don’t happen in a vacuum. Threat actors tailor their tactics based on industries, technologies, and even geopolitical developments. What matters is not just what happened, but why it happened, and what it means for future exposure.

This is where the convergence of cyber threat intelligence and incident response becomes critical. Together, they provide a cycle of insight and adaptation. Intelligence supplies the context—who is targeting your sector, what tools they use, and what signals might indicate reconnaissance or lateral movement. Incident response, on the other hand, applies that knowledge during high-pressure moments to reduce dwell time, contain impact, and improve response accuracy.

Organizations that invest in this synergy are better equipped to move beyond one-off incident reports. Instead, they build a threat-informed defense posture that continually adapts to new realities. This doesn’t require reinventing the SOC model, but it does mean integrating intelligence into both detection logic and post-incident reviews. The result is not just faster response—but smarter, more resilient defense cycles. [Insert link here]

Avoiding Tool Sprawl While Maximizing Operational Value

A common reflex when addressing gaps in security posture is to adopt new tools. Behavioral analytics, extended detection and response (XDR), and SOAR platforms all promise faster insights and better coordination. But without a clear integration plan, these technologies often introduce complexity faster than they add value.

Tool sprawl has both operational and psychological consequences. Analysts waste time switching between dashboards, reconciling conflicting alerts, or manually correlating data. Worse, leadership may assume that the presence of cutting-edge tools equates to effectiveness—when in reality, the team may be overwhelmed and underutilizing key capabilities.

The solution isn’t to avoid new technology altogether, but to pursue it deliberately. Start with clear objectives—what gap are you trying to close, and how will success be measured? Choose vendors that emphasize interoperability, not lock-in. And most importantly, invest in people. Even the most advanced threat detection platforms are only as effective as the analysts interpreting their output.

Building Toward a Culture of Preparedness

Cybersecurity has matured into a discipline of both prevention and recovery. As such, organizational culture matters as much as technology. Incident simulations should be routine, not exceptional. Cross-functional tabletop exercises should test both the technical and communicative response to hypothetical breaches. Post-mortems should be honest, blameless, and actionable.

Preparedness is not a state; it’s a practice. It involves executive buy-in, realistic planning, and a willingness to acknowledge uncertainty. No team can prevent every incident—but those that cultivate transparency, learning, and agility will fare far better when one occurs.

By focusing on strategic alignment, intelligent integration of threat intelligence and response, and a culture of readiness, organizations position themselves not only to endure attacks—but to emerge stronger from them.

Ekco Launches All-in-One, Enterprise-Grade Cybersecurity Offering to Protect Irish SMBs

Ekco, one of Europe’s leading security-first managed service providers (MSP), has today launched Cyber Defence Complete in Ireland – an all-in-one cybersecurity service that gives small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) enterprise-grade cybersecurity protection without complexity.

The number of attempted and successful cyberattacks is ever increasing and SMBs are attractive targets for attackers as, unlike larger organisations, they often lack the resources to recruit specialist in-house 24-7 cybersecurity teams. Cyber Defence Complete from Ekco integrates essential security coverage from leading vendors including Microsoft, CrowdStrike, and Recorded Future into a unified, streamlined solution.

Built on CREST-accredited methodologies, it equips SMBs with comprehensive defensive capabilities – from visibility and detection to active defence – without requiring significant infrastructure changes. By simplifying cybersecurity complexity and uncertainty, Cyber Defence Complete provides businesses with a proactive advantage against threats, along with seamless access to world-class technologies and expert guidance in one cohesive service.

Ekco’s Cyber Defence Complete package includes 24×7×365 Managed Extended Detection and Response (MXDR) monitoring, incident response, threat intelligence, and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), ensuring SMBs are protected around the clock and offering peace of mind. It will be offered through flexible, tiered models designed to scale with businesses as they grow and mature.

Lee Driver, Director of Cybersecurity at Ekco, said: “Small and medium-sized businesses face diverse cybersecurity challenges, and in today’s threat landscape, fast, decisive action is critical. This is why we’ve launched Cyber Defence Complete – a comprehensive solution that removes uncertainty and complexity from cybersecurity for SMBs. Right from the outset, our package establishes a robust defensive foundation, encompassing threat detection, active monitoring, rapid incident response, and mitigation capabilities.

“Our flexible, tiered approach ensures businesses receive exactly the level of protection they need, scaling seamlessly as they expand and mature. With Cyber Defence Complete, we’re committed to levelling the cybersecurity playing field, empowering SMBs with enterprise-grade defence underpinned by expert support, so they can confidently focus on growing their businesses without the fear of cyber threats.”

Cyber Defence Complete is available in two tailored packages to meet diverse business needs:

  • Standard: Offers a comprehensive suite of defensive capabilities, enabling businesses to adopt a proactive stance against cyber threats.
  • Premium: Includes all features of the Standard package, with additional enhancements aimed at achieving robust cyber resilience.

This tiered approach ensures that SMBs can access enterprise-grade security solutions that align with their growth stage and budget, providing cost-effective access to world-class security expertise without the need for significant in-house investment.

To learn more about Ekco’s new Cyber Defence Complete, please visit here.

Climb Channel Solutions Ireland Partners with Quest Software to Strengthen Cyber Resilience and Data Empowerment

Climb Channel Solutions Ireland, the specialist technology distributor formerly known as DataSolutions, today announces a new partnership with Quest Software, a global leader in systems management, data protection, and security software.

Quest is a software solutions provider which is trusted by more than 95% of Fortune 500 companies. With an office in Cork and more than a quarter of a century of pedigree in Ireland, its offering spans platform migrations, cloud deployments, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), security, governance, data intelligence, database management, and solutions to ensure data is AI-ready.

Through this partnership, Climb Channel Solutions Ireland will offer Quest’s suite of security, data empowerment, and AI solutions to resellers. Quest’s ever-expanding portfolio is designed to help organisations manage, format, and cleanse data, enabling the seamless adoption of AI.

Climb Channel Solutions Ireland – which was recently recognised as Quest Distributor of the Year – and Quest will also focus on threat detection, backup and disaster recovery solutions and platforms. This includes Quest Security Guardian, an Active Directory (AD) security solution that significantly reduces the attack surface for enterprises and improves identity threat detection and response (ITDR).

As one of only two vendors in Ireland providing Active Directory Recovery, Quest is uniquely positioned to help organisations quickly and securely restore critical identity services, reinforcing its leadership in identity resilience.

Brian Davis, VP of Sales for the UK & Ireland, Climb Channel Solutions Ireland, said: “Given its 24/7 support services, technical certifications and expanding portfolio, Quest has the ability to transform, secure and drive impact for both resellers and end users. Ireland offers huge potential, and we look forward not only to solidifying our partnership but addressing challenges and powering success for enterprises.”

To support its partner network in Ireland, Quest will be rolling out several initiatives to help them identify and close new business opportunities. These include technical bootcamps, roundtables and an online training library. Alongside this, Quest also offers financial incentives to partners, such as rebates and referral fees.

Olivia Donnell, Global Distribution, Quest Software, added: “With an office in Cork and more than 25 years of experience in Ireland, our partnership with Climb Channel Solutions Ireland will allow us to further strengthen cybersecurity for Irish enterprises. By combining well-established products with new solutions, we can make enterprises ready now for the future—ensuring resilience, reliability, and readiness across data management, Microsoft migrations, and security.”