A global cybersecurity conference in Dublin has heard how AI is supercharging cyber attacks to the point where hackers can disrupt an organisation in less than 30 seconds.
Cyber investigators from the FBI and the US Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) were among those speaking at "Zero Day Con".
Representatives from Ireland's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) were also in attendance.
It comes amid concerns over an increase in cyberattacks linked to the current conflict in the Middle East.
Last month, the Cork base of medical technology company Stryker was impacted by a global cyberattack targeting the firm's operations.
Handala, an Iran-linked hacking group, claimed responsibility.
Cybersecurity chiefs have warned of the possibilities of more Iran-linked cyberattacks.
Ireland will also be on high alert for threats as it prepares to take over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in July.
Zero Day Con is organised by cybersecurity company Smarttech247.
Its CEO Raluca Saceanu told delegates that businesses in Ireland are increasingly finding themselves caught in the crossfire of global hybrid warfare.
"The window of time between an attacker getting into a system and causing serious damage has collapsed," Ms Saceanu said.
"What used to take hours now takes minutes and in the fastest cases observed, less than 30 seconds."
"The tools being used to do this are no longer the exclusive preserve of sophisticated nation-states. They are available commercially on the dark web, powered by AI, and used by criminal groups operating like professional businesses," she added.
