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Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union comes at a time when the cyber threat landscape is becoming more complex and less predictable. As one of Europe’s leading digital hubs, Ireland’s increased profile will attract greater attention from cyber criminals, hacktivists and state-aligned threat actors. At the same time, AI is transforming how attacks are planned, executed and scaled. For business leaders, the challenge extends beyond cybersecurity. It’s about organisational resilience: the ability to anticipate, withstand, and recover from disruption in an increasingly volatile environment.
Ireland’s growing strategic importance
Ireland assumes the Presidency of the Council of the European Union at a time when cyber risk is becoming increasingly shaped by geopolitics. Over the coming months, Ireland will host a significant programme of political and diplomatic activity, welcoming European leaders, ministers, and officials from across the region. This heightened profile increases the country’s strategic importance and, with it, the attention of threat actors seeking opportunities to disrupt critical services, gather intelligence, or generate publicity through cyber incidents.
The risk extends beyond government. Ireland plays a critical role in Europe’s digital economy, hosting significant data infrastructure and serving as a key location for the movement and storage of information across international networks. As a result, attacks targeting Irish organisations can have consequences that reach far beyond national borders. For threat actors, both public and private sector organisations may represent attractive entry points into larger digital ecosystems.
Business leaders should not view this as a temporary challenge linked solely to the Presidency. Rather, it reflects a broader shift in the operating environment. As economies become more digitally connected, cyber events are increasingly influenced by geopolitical developments, international tensions, and evolving security priorities.
The threat environment was already intensifying
The Presidency arrives against a backdrop of heightened cyber activity globally. Ongoing geopolitical tensions, including the war in Ukraine and instability in the Middle East, have contributed to an increase in cyber operations conducted by state-aligned actors, cyber criminals, and hacktivist groups. These actors often seek to exploit moments of political significance, heightened media attention, or perceived disruption.
Recent experience across Europe demonstrates that major political events can coincide with increased cyber activity targeting transportation networks, public infrastructure, and organisations connected to government operations. The Irish Presidency does not create these threats, but it’s likely to increase the scrutiny placed on organisations operating within Ireland’s digital and economic landscape.
For many organisations, the challenge is that cyber threats are becoming more difficult to predict. Traditional assumptions about who may be targeted, when attacks may occur, and what form they may take are becoming less reliable. As a result, resilience has become as important as prevention. The ability to respond quickly, maintain critical operations, and recover from disruption can determine whether an incident remains manageable or develops into a significant business event.
AI is reshaping the cyber battlefield
Artificial intelligence is accelerating change across almost every aspect of cybersecurity. While many organisations are exploring how AI can improve productivity and decision-making, threat actors are also incorporating these technologies into their operations. The result is a rapidly changing threat landscape in which attacks can be developed, refined, and executed at greater speed and scale than before.
Threat actors are already using AI to automate reconnaissance, generate highly convincing phishing communications, and accelerate malware development. Language barriers that once limited criminal activity across jurisdictions are becoming less relevant as AI tools enable campaigns to be tailored quickly across multiple markets and languages. Social engineering attacks are becoming more persuasive, more targeted, and more difficult for employees to identify.
The emergence of autonomous AI agents presents a further challenge. As these capabilities mature, the time between the release of a new technology and its adoption by threat actors is likely to continue shrinking. Organisations may have less time to understand new risks and implement appropriate controls before those capabilities are exploited.
However, the same technologies can strengthen cyber defences. AI can improve threat detection, support incident response, and help security teams analyse large volumes of data more effectively. The difference increasingly lies not in whether organisations adopt AI, but in how effectively they integrate it into their risk management and security operations.
Why resilience has become a boardroom issue
Cybersecurity is no longer solely a technology concern. It’s a business resilience issue that spans operations, supply chains, communications, regulatory compliance, and reputation.
At the same time, regulatory expectations continue to evolve. The National Cyber Security Bill 2024 and the implementation of the EU’s NIS2 requirements are raising expectations around governance, accountability, and risk management. The Critical Entities Resilience Directive also places greater emphasis on the ability of essential services to withstand and recover from disruption. Together, these developments reinforce the need for cyber resilience to be embedded within broader enterprise risk frameworks.
Boards and executive teams should therefore ask different questions. Beyond the effectiveness of existing security controls, leaders should understand how quickly critical systems can be restored, whether third-party dependencies are adequately managed, and how the organisation would respond if a major incident disrupted operations. A resilience-focused approach recognises that while no organisation can eliminate cyber risk entirely, every organisation can improve its ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from cyber events.
Organisations should view the Presidency period not as a temporary spike in cyber risk, but as a reminder of a broader reality. Cyber threats are becoming more interconnected, more geopolitical, and increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence. In this environment, resilience is not simply an operational concern. It’s a strategic capability that can help organisations withstand disruption and maintain trust when incidents occur.
"The cyber risks associated with Ireland’s EU Presidency are real, but the more important story is what they reveal about the future threat landscape. As AI accelerates attack capabilities and geopolitical tensions continue to shape cyber activity, resilience is becoming a defining characteristic of well-run organisations."
David Lee, Chief Technology OfficerWhat leaders should prioritise now
The cyber threat environment is becoming more complex, more interconnected, and more difficult to predict. While Ireland’s EU Presidency increases visibility and focus, the underlying trends shaping cyber risk are likely to persist long after the Presidency concludes. Organisations should use this period to strengthen resilience, improve preparedness, and ensure that cyber risk is being managed as a business issue rather than solely a technology concern. The following actions can help leaders prioritise resources and improve readiness in a heightened threat environment.
1. Reassess cyber risk assumptions
Review cyber risk assessments to ensure they reflect current geopolitical realities, emerging AI-enabled threats, and increasing regulatory expectations. Threat scenarios that may previously have been considered low probability may now warrant greater attention. Boards and executive teams should understand which cyber events could cause the most significant operational, financial, or reputational disruption and confirm that mitigation plans remain fit for purpose. Regular reviews can help ensure that risk management approaches evolve alongside the threat landscape.
2. Strengthen third-party and supply chain resilience
Many organisations are only as resilient as the suppliers and service providers they depend on. Critical third parties should be identified, assessed, and regularly reviewed to understand potential vulnerabilities and single points of failure. Leaders should seek assurance that key suppliers maintain appropriate cybersecurity controls and resilience capabilities. A disruption affecting one supplier can quickly cascade across multiple organisations, particularly where essential digital services are involved.
3. Test crisis response before an incident occurs
An incident response plan is only effective if it has been tested under realistic conditions. Organisations should conduct scenario exercises that involve senior leadership, communications, legal, operations, and technology teams. These exercises help clarify responsibilities, identify gaps in decision-making processes, and improve coordination during periods of disruption. Effective crisis management depends not only on technical expertise but also on the ability of leadership teams to make informed decisions under pressure.
4. Prepare for AI-enabled social engineering
AI is making phishing campaigns, impersonation attempts, and fraud schemes more convincing and more scalable. Organisations should update awareness programmes, verification procedures, and approval processes to reflect these emerging risks. Attention should be given to functions that routinely handle financial transactions, sensitive information, or executive communications. Employees remain a critical line of defence, but they must be supported by controls and processes designed for a rapidly evolving threat environment.
5. Focus on resilience and recovery, not only prevention
No organisation can eliminate cyber risk entirely. The focus should therefore extend beyond preventing attacks to maintaining critical operations and recovering quickly when incidents occur. Leaders should understand recovery objectives for key systems, validate backup and restoration capabilities, and ensure that business continuity arrangements remain current. Organisations that recover quickly from disruption are often better positioned to protect customer trust, maintain operational stability, and meet regulatory expectations.
We’re here to help
Cyber resilience requires more than technology investment. It demands a clear understanding of risk, robust governance, and the ability to respond effectively when incidents occur. Whether your organisation is assessing its exposure, preparing for new regulatory requirements, or strengthening its resilience capabilities, our cyber specialists can help you evaluate your readiness and identify practical next steps. To discuss these issues, please contact a member of our team.
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