69% of businesses in Ireland think hybrid working arrangements will increase the chances of a cyberattack or incident, according to a new survey by Dell Technologies.
91% of companies surveyed said they took steps to enhance data protection in the past 12 months.
The latest 'Cyber Resilience Survey' from Dell, in partnership with the Executive Institute, seeks to understand business leaders' changing attitudes towards cybersecurity and the steps taken by Irish businesses to enhance their cyber resilience in a data-driven era.
The survey of 113 business leaders in Ireland shows cyber resilience is now a priority, with 91% of organisations recognising its importance at the senior leadership level.
However, almost 60% said they wouldn't know how to react in the event of a ransomware attack.
Despite the growing attention placed on cybersecurity by leaders, the survey reveals a knowledge gap in the data protection options open to Irish businesses.
64% of business leaders said they are not sure their organisations have the capability to isolate or "air gap" critical data in the event of ransomware attack.
Meanwhile, only 28% said they have a well-defined incident response strategy in response to an attack, with less than a third saying they would restore the data lost from a standard back-up solution.
Looking to the future, 92% of respondents agreed that enhancing their organisation’s cyber resilience is important to ensuring the success of their digital transformation plans.
55% identified the ever-growing number of cyberattacks as the main barrier to enhancing their cyber resilience followed by outdated technology, insufficient in-house cyber skills and upfront investment.
"Our team of cyber experts at Dell Technologies help organisations across Ireland build a resilient infrastructure where business critical data can be placed in a cyber vault that's inaccessible to cyber criminals," said Jason Ward, Vice President and Managing Director of Dell Technologies Ireland.
"As we look towards a data-driven future, prioritising cybersecurity is critical to ensuring that businesses and organisations are better prepared, not just to survive a cyberattack, but to thrive.
"Their business resilience is now directly tied to their cyber resilience," Mr Ward said.
Conor Morris, Managing Director of the Executive Institute, said the results of the survey highlight the increasing importance of cybersecurity for our members.
"As we enter a hybrid world of work, having a cyber resilience plan is vital in dealing with the challenges and opportunities of this post-pandemic environment," he said.
