FOUR out of five businesses have been targeted and effected by online cyber crime as representative bodies call for the establishment of a dedicated E-crime unit.
The recent E-crime report carried out by business group ISME, highlights the high number of cyber-attacks on small and medium sized enterprises over the last 12 months.
ISME CEO Neil McDonnell said “increased online business activity has expedited and expanded trade, creating a cheaper, more flexible, and far reaching business environment; but with this comes security risk”.
“Businesses must become more aware of the threats posed by cyber-attacks and take proper preventative measures.
The report highlights that 20 per cent of businesses surveyed do not change their password settings.
81 per cent of respondents stated they were the victim of an E-crime attack
98 per cent of respondents stated they would like to see the establishment of a central/national E-crime body.
Reports of cyber crime included in this survey excluded “phishing” or scam emails.
62 per cent of businesses fell victim to a virus infection, a 20 per cent increase on the previous year.
ISME says that Government should consider how it could support An Garda Síochána in upskilling and enhancing their capacity in dealing with cyber-fraud and cyber-attacks.
The establishment of a national E-crime body and/or a Cyber Security Information Sharing Partnership, similar to the United Kingdom’s system, which allows for the sharing of cyber threat information, should be immediately considered the group says.
“If the recommendations above are taken on board by the business community, law enforcement agencies and Government, we would see a significant reduction in the number of cyber-attacks on businesses.”
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