Tag: emails

Cyber attacks hit fifth of firms as ‘online NCT’ launched

Almost one in five of Ireland’s top companies have experienced significant cyber attacks in the last two years, new data shows

The findings come as national domain registry .IE launches Ireland’s first Digital Trust Mark.

Described as an NCT for your online identity, websites and emails carrying the distinctive wolfhound symbol will give customers confidence that businesses of all sizes are operating to the highest digital standards.

“If you have an online presence, you can now be assessed on DigitalTrust.ie in just a few clicks,” said Louise McKeown Doogan, Chief Growth Officer at .IE.

“Once an organisation applies, their website, email and domain setup is assessed using a proprietary scoring evaluation that checks against industry-defined best practice.

“These checks confirm that digital fundamentals are correctly configured, responsibly managed and set up to support trust and reliability online.

“Once you receive your Digital Trust Score, you will either be entitled to carry the mark or you will have clear next steps to reach the required standard.

“We live in an age where some ransomware companies now have customer care departments, and the online health of the nation needs to improve as a consequence.”

The research found that 17pc of Ireland’s key organisations have experienced a significant cyber attack since 2024.

Conducted by Amárach on behalf of .IE, it surveyed 354 essential Irish firms in January.

It follows last week’s Garda data that fraud-related crimes more than doubled in the last 12 months, up 137pc – mainly due to bank scams, phishing and smishing.

“Our findings are concerning, particularly when we know phishing scams (60pc) and the exploitation of system weaknesses (21.3pc) are the most common ways attackers gain access,” said Ms McKeown Doogan.

“An online presence that appears to function may not always demonstrate the authenticity and trustworthiness customers expect.

“Until now there has been no visible way for consumers to know that a website meets a recognised standard – and no way for businesses or organisations to signal that they do.

“The mark signals that they demonstrate authenticity, responsible digital practice and a trustworthy online experience.

“We hope it will become a digital equivalent of the NCT and an essential part of interacting online in Ireland within the next year.”

The Digital Trust Mark is not just for .ie domains but is open to .com and other domains used by Irish organisations.

Applicants will receive a grade by the next working day and if an A-rating is achieved, businesses can display the mark on their website or in their email signature for the following 12 months.

Domains that do not reach an A-rating will be given a detailed outline of what and how they can improve.

See digitaltrust.ie for more information.

Workhuman research finds 1 in 4 employees expect to respond to work emails over Christmas

Workhuman®, the company revolutionising the way employees celebrate, connect with and appreciate each other in the workplace, today announces new findings from its Human Workplace Index, which found that 1 in 4 (27%) of employees expect they will be responding to work emails over Christmas. While work pressures are getting to employees, more than half (58%) of employees in Ireland say they are also stressed about the financial burden of buying Christmas gifts this year.

The survey of 1,000 full-time employees in Ireland was commissioned by Workhuman and conducted by Pollfish to gain insights into attitudes and expectations around the holidays, including how work cultures support employees during the season, as well as gifting and giving habits.

The research suggests that many find it difficult to take a break over the holidays. Some 22% of employees say they will not be able to fully switch off from work over their Christmas holidays while 28% admitted that their large workload would prevent them from taking as much time off as they would like over the holidays.

The survey also found that, though the spirit of the season is alive and well, many employees may find this a stressful time of year. Per the research, employees expect to spend an average of €974 each on Christmas gifts this year. More than half of employees (54%) responded that they feel stressed out about buying holiday gifts— however this doesn’t seem to be hindering the amount of people they shop for, with nearly a quarter of employees saying they will buy holiday presents for up to 10 people.

Workhuman’s survey found that as people get into the festive spirit, the majority of employees who receive end-of-year bonuses are using them to pay for Christmas presents. More than a quarter (27%) of respondents who receive end-of-year bonuses say they are essential for affording Christmas presents, while a further 53% said they alleviate some of the financial burden. Despite this, over half (51%) of respondents would prefer to receive smaller spot bonuses throughout the year rather than one larger lump sum at the end of the year.

Many employees expressed an interest in employee recognition as a means of supplementing their Christmas budgets. Workhuman’s survey shows that 66% of employees would like to use points from an employee recognition programme to buy gifts. Employees are using Workhuman’s recognition platform in this way, with smartwatches, air fryers and headphones among the top purchases for those based in Europe.

When it comes to gifting trends in the workplace, 44% of employees receive Christmas gifts from their colleagues and 27% do a ‘Secret Santa’ at work. Some 32% get presents from their employer or manager and, of these, 95% say they usually, or always, like them. However, 12% admitted they usually re-gift them to someone else.

Niamh Graham, Senior Vice President of Global Human Experience, Workhuman: “Our research has shown that while this is an exciting time of year, it can also be a stressful one. Financial, familial, and professional pressures can impact employees over the holiday season. When done right, company culture can help to alleviate some of this stress, rather than being a cause of it. Ensuring employees are using their paid time off and have a solid coverage plan so they can truly unplug over the holidays is a practice leadership should demonstrate and encourage.

“Employee experience initiatives can also help get at some of this stress; spot bonuses and redeemable recognition points can be partic