Tag: Littlefish

27% of IT leaders concerned about ability to detect deepfake attacks

Storm Technology, a Littlefish company, today announces survey findings which reveal that 27% of IT leaders are concerned about their ability to detect deepfake attacks over the next 12 months. This concern was felt by more respondents in larger enterprises (33%) than SMBs (23%).

The research – conducted by Censuswide and involving 200 IT decision-makers and leaders across Ireland and the UK (100 in each market) – found that the biggest concerns around AI and security over the next year are data breaches (34%), data protection (33%), and increased risk of adversarial or cyber-attacks (31%). Meanwhile, a quarter (25%) consider shadow AI (use of unsanctioned or unpermitted tools) among their biggest concerns.

This is not necessarily surprising given that half of respondents (50%) know that people in their organisation are using such tools and some 55% admitted to using unsanctioned or unpermitted tools themselves. Forty-two per cent of IT leaders also opined that company data is not safe for input into these platforms.

Perhaps exacerbating this issue, just 60% of companies have been specific about which AI tools are sanctioned or permitted.

More broadly, over a fifth (21%) of IT leaders do not have a high degree of trust in AI tools and almost a third (32%) of companies do not have a strategy in place to address any AI risks that arise.

The research showed that 79% of IT leaders in Ireland and the UK agree their organisation needs to focus more on the regulation of AI tools and 28% do not believe their governance around AI tools is adequate. This rose to more than a third (35%) among Irish respondents.

When it comes to AI and data, 24% of IT leaders do not think their business data is ready for AI, with a similar proportion (23%) of the opinion that that their data governance policies are not robust enough to support secure AI adoption. This could explain why 78% believe a data readiness project is required to ensure successful AI adoption in their company.

Sean Tickle, Cyber Services Director, Littlefish, said: “AI is rapidly reshaping the enterprise landscape, but the speed of adoption is outpacing the maturity of governance. When nearly a third of organisations lack a strategy to manage AI risk, and over half of IT leaders admit to using unsanctioned tools, it’s clear that shadow AI isn’t just a user issue—it’s a leadership one.

“Deepfake threats, data governance gaps, and a lack of trust in AI platforms are converging into a

Irish digital solutions provider Storm Technology acquired by Littlefish

Storm Technology, the market-leading digital solutions provider, today announces that it has been acquired by Littlefish, an award-winning managed IT and cyber security services provider.

Founded in 1995, to help Irish organisations on their digital transformation journey, Storm Technology has established itself as one of the leading Microsoft business technology consultancies in Ireland. Driving client success for both public and private sector clients across island of Ireland through its 160-strong team, extensive Microsoft solutions portfolio and a carefully curated partner network.

Since it was established in Nottingham in 2003, Littlefish has become an award-winning managed IT and cyber security services provider and has grown its team to nearly 650 people. Its expertise in managed IT services, cyber security, cloud services and strategic consultancy has driven the company’s growth and reputation in both the private and public sector markets in the UK.  

The acquisition will further strengthen Storm Technology’s service portfolio for both new and existing clients in Ireland, particularly within the managed IT services and cyber security space, and facilitate future growth, enabling the delivery of its business solutions to the UK market. Similarly, the deal will allow Littlefish to address the growing demand for business focused Microsoft solutions and expand its customer base in Ireland via Storm Technology.

In turn, this will see both companies extend their capabilities across larger scale projects and to a wider breadth of clients. Together, Storm Technology and Littlefish will continue to deliver industry leading services to existing customers across the areas of managed IT services, cloud services, and strategic consultancy.

Karl Flannery, CEO, Storm Technology, said: “Joining forces with Littlefish marks an exciting step in our business and client journey, supporting our growth ambition and facilitating entry to the UK market, while reaffirming our commitment to the delivery of maximum client impact with the expansion of our existing capabilities – creating an end-to-end digital operating platform.

“Our team and clients have been an integral part of our journey, and it was important to us that any partnership would build upon the values that have underpinned operations since we first opened in 1995, including unrivalled customer experience and operational excellence. We are confident that we have found that partner in Littlefish. I look forward to this exciting next stage of the Storm Technology journey alongside Littlefish, our valued team, clients, and partners.”

Steve Robinson, CEO, Littlefish, added: “As a business, we’ve evolved from a bedroom startup to ‘the’ superior alternative to the multi-billion-pound, IT outsourcers, providing award-winning services and a world-class customer experience. This acquisition marks the next part of our success story, expanding our presence and footprint with a like-minded organisation and services that will materially enhance our Microsoft business solution capabilities.  

“As well as a shared passion for delivering service excellence and genuine business value for customers through tailored solutions, Storm Technology shares our people-centric, expertise-led approach. I would like to extend a warm welcome to Karl and his talented team to Littlefish. We are very much looking forward to collaborating, innovating and growing together in both the Irish and UK markets.”