Majority of Irish workers fear a catastrophic cybersecurity incident in 2026

Landmark Technologies, an Irish provider of IT and cybersecurity services, has announced the results of new research which reveals that a majority of Irish workers fear the country is heading towards a major cybersecurity crisis in 2026.

The survey finds that more than half (52%) of employees believe Ireland will suffer a catastrophic cybersecurity incident this year. Meanwhile, three-in-five (61%) say Ireland is less prepared than other European countries to defend against cybersecurity threats.

The research was carried out by Censuswide on behalf of Landmark in January 2026 and surveyed 1,000 employees in the Republic of Ireland on their cybersecurity experiences and attitudes as threats continue to escalate.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as the biggest source of anxiety for Irish workers. Some 87% cite AI-powered phishing attacks that are harder to detect as a key challenge for the coming year, and the same proportion are worried about cybercriminals using AI to steal company data. These were closely followed by fears about ransomware attacks (85%), AI-generated deepfake scams targeting organisations (83%), and personal data stored at work being leaked or stolen by cybercriminals (83%).

The research finds that cyberattacks are becoming a routine part of working life for Irish businesses and employees. In the past 12 months alone, 80% of employees have personally experienced a cybersecurity incident or attack at work – with 43% experiencing multiple attacks. Looking ahead, half (50%) believe their organisation will suffer a data breach in the next 12 months.

As anxieties grow, 61% of employees believe staff will continue to be the biggest security risk in their organisation. These concerns appear to be warranted, as one-in-eight (12%) employees admit that they clicked on a malicious link or attachment but didn’t report it – whilst the same proportion said that their organisation had confidential data stolen.

Risks are evident at all levels, with 13% of workers saying that a senior leader fell for a cyber or phishing scam in the last year, and 12% saying that an employee stole confidential data when leaving the organisation.

Ken Kelleher, Managing Director, Landmark Technologies: “Our research paints a very worrying picture. Irish workers are clearly fearful that a major cyber incident is not a question of if, but when. The fact that more than half expect a catastrophic event this year should be a wake-up call for all businesses and relevant stakeholders.

“It highlights the need for open dialogue between businesses and their employees on how to spot and deal with cybersecurity threats as evolving technologies, such as AI, become more widely adopted – and used by attackers as well as defenders. As we look ahead, it’s crucial that businesses strengthen their defences, improve employee awareness, and receive the highest levels of support so that they are better equipped to deal with increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.”

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