A NEW cyber security strategy will be developed for Ireland by the end of this year, the Minister for Communication has announced.
“We need to be alert to and prepared for attacks,” Éamon Ryan said yesterday when announcing that he had commissioned a report on Ireland’s state of readiness should a cyber attack occur.
The report will also contain a review of current international best practice on cyber security and the structures that should be developed to oversee the Government’s response to cyber attacks.
Mr Ryan said the report would address the following issues from a national perspective:
detection of cyber attacks: reaction to cyber attacks from Government, Government agencies and operators of critical IT infrastructure;
development of structure to oversee planning and response to cyber attacks and
development of structures to keep the public aware of threats and appropriate responses.
“Every day we become more reliant on technology,” Mr Ryan said. “We operate our business and organise our play using the internet and associated technology.”
The Minister said that as the capabilities of technology expanded, so too do its weaknesses and Ireland needed to be alert to, and prepared for, attacks on the technology we rely on, which could disrupt our services or destroy our data.
“As technology develops, so too should our response,” he said.
“A national cyber security strategy will increase our readiness in the event of an attack and work to make our hardware, software, networks and connections safer.”
Mr Ryan said that our technology infrastructure was of strategic national importance and that the strategy he had announced was designed to protect that infrastructure while maintaining our privacy and increasing our protection.
He added that the consultants’ report would be the first step in the development of the strategy.
Consultation with industry and across Government is also beginning and the strategy will be finalised by the end of the year.
