The Pat Kenny Show Ireland’s cyber vulnerability
Dec 4, 2025
Richard Browne, Director of the National Cyber Security Centre, discusses Ireland's heightened vulnerability to cyberattacks as it prepares for the EU Presidency. He shares insights on national cyber exercises and the importance of proactive incident responses. Raluca Saceanu, CEO of Smartech247, emphasizes the need for businesses to assess third-party risks and enhance staff training on cybersecurity. The conversation also touches on the implications of information operations during geopolitical events and upcoming regulatory changes to bolster supply chain security.
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Presidency Raises Cyber Profile
- Ireland's EU presidency will raise its attractiveness as a cyber target due to geopolitical visibility and economic roles.
- The National Cyber Security Centre expects some sort of incident during the presidency but cannot predict its scale or type.
Prepare Incident Response Now
- Prepare proactively by building incident response, removing risks, and testing resilience ahead of the presidency.
- Continue reforms across critical infrastructure and government; do not assume recovery will be ad hoc.
Supply Chain Risks Are Systemic
- Supply chain risk is not only vendor compromise by third countries but systemic interdependencies that are often opaque.
- A vendor issue can cascade widely even when purchasers used reputable suppliers under contract.