Regional SMEs are making cyber security a priority following the recent ransomware attack on the HSE, according to Business IT Solutions (BITS), an IT security business.
Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Gavin Dixon of the Dublin, Kilkenny and Carlow-based business said the company had noticed a worrying rise in the number of cyber threats and attempted digital fraud against companies across the south east region.
However, Mr Dixon said the cyberattack on the HSE has heightened awareness amongst regional firms that IT security should be an investment rather than a cost.
BITS said it recently increased its workforce to over 20 people for the first time ever and continues to grow its workforce to cope with the demand from the regional SME sector.
"For a long time, there was a misconception that cybercriminals didn’t target smaller businesses, that they were only interested in larger organisations", Mr Dixon said.
"But the impact of the attack on the HSE, coupled with the fact that so many people are regularly being targeted through their personal and professional phones and emails for phishing scams, has heightened awareness that they are also vulnerable to data breaches and could be the victim of a cyberattack," he added.
Mr Dixon said SMEs are right to be concerned.
"We have encountered a dramatic and quite alarming increase in cyberattacks on smaller companies in the region over the past year and a half.
"Digitisation as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic significantly increased their exposure to risk from hackers.
"With more and more SME's now trading online and employees working remotely, they are often easier to target because they have limited IT security measures in place," he explained.
Mr Dixon said there are some simple steps that company owners can take to prevent and respond to cyberattacks, such as training all staff to be alert to phishing scams:
"Human error can be a major factor in data breaches and, more and more, we’re getting calls from companies in the region where a cyberattack originated with a staff member innocently clicking on an infected link.
"Cyber security needs to begin at a cultural level and the human firewall remains a company’s most effective form of security," he said.
