Experts discuss Ireland’s cybersecurity potential at CINC 2026

The Cyber Ireland National Conference 2026 (CINC 2026) took place at Lyrath Estate in Kilkenny, gathering cybersecurity professionals, leaders, and stakeholders from SMEs, multinationals, and experts. The conference's theme, "Realising Ireland's Cyber Industry Potential," aimed to explore the most important trends and updates in the contemporary cyber sector, including global cyberthreats, innovation, workforce development, and emerging security risks associated with AI.

The event was sponsored by various organizations, including the National Cyber Security Centre, KPMG, TrendAI, and Intel.

Keynote speaker Ian Fahey, KPMG's managing director, highlighted Ireland's crucial role as a European leader in cybersecurity, responsible for managing critical infrastructure and hosting vast amounts of data. Eoin Byrne, cluster manager at Cyber Ireland, noted that Ireland has a strong seat at the table in Europe due to hosting numerous multinational tech and pharma companies and transatlantic data cables.

The EU Presidency, currently held by Ireland, brought heightened cyber risks but also reinforced that the cyberthreat landscape is borderless, necessitating a borderless response.

Experts emphasized the importance of staff education, AI awareness, and basic cyber hygiene in staying secure. Eadaoin McArthur from Palo Alto Networks stressed the need for staff education and AI mandates to protect against evolving threats. Fahey advised Irish organizations to focus on fundamental cyber hygiene before addressing sophisticated attacks.

Fiona Griffin from TrendAI added that organizations should stay vigilant and compliant with AI-related threats, emphasizing that Ireland's position as a leading cybersecurity player in Europe is strengthened by its imaginative mindset and cutting-edge technology vendors.