Over 70% of Irish Organisations Have Information ‘Exposed Online’

Global cybersecurity firm Smarttech247 says its data shows more than 70% of Irish organisations currently have information exposed online. Smarttech247’s Cyber Threat Intelligence platform has detected a range of records, including company-related credentials and sensitive information, many of which are actively traded or sold.

The Irish-based firm is warning that this kind of information is ideally suited for use in criminal gangs’ AI-powered phishing and Business Email (BEC) Compromise campaigns. These forms of BEC are the fastest-growing type of cybercrime worldwide and see hackers using AI to clone voices, generate hyper-realistic phishing emails, and manipulate employees into transferring funds or handing over credentials.

The security team at Smarttech247 estimates that fewer than one in three Irish organisations have adequate protection against BEC attacks. One of the most high-profile examples emerged last month, when it’s alleged the National Treasury Management Agency was the target of a multi-million euro attack involving voice phishing.

CEO of Smarttech247, Raluca Saceanu, is warning organisations that they need to step up protections:

“Our Cyber Threat Intelligence platform continuously monitors dark web marketplaces, criminal forums, and leak sites, and we’re very concerned that businesses across all sectors are incredibly unprepared for the scale and sophistication of this new wave of crime. Most rely on outdated email filters or staff awareness training alone, neither of which are effective against AI-powered impersonation, deepfakes, or advanced social engineering. In critical sectors such as finance, healthcare, and government, that level of preparedness is dangerously low.

Cybersecurity experts have also recorded a 400% spike over the past 12 months* in the level of social engineering techniques which dupe users into believing they must fix an error on their device by copying a piece of code. In reality, they are executing malicious commands that install malware on their device.

Raluca Saceanu says,

“Our team is receiving daily reports of targeted phishing campaigns that increasingly carry the fingerprints of AI: perfectly written messages, urgent executive requests, and realistic voice calls that bypass traditional defences.

“Ireland is not prepared for AI-driven cybercrime. Criminals are scaling faster than our defences, and critical national services are at risk. Financial services companies, central to the economy, healthcare providers and government officials face an immediate risk of social engineering scams. The attacks are already here, and unless Ireland acts now, we risk becoming tomorrow’s headline breach.”