I recently visited Dublin, where I met with government and business leaders who are keen on innovating in cybersecurity. It is clear that Irish organizations of all types recognise there is a need for change, that the status quo on cybersecurity must evolve where it is not working.
The Irish government is taking action. Ireland’s original National Cyber Security Strategy was an important milestone when it was released in 2015, creating the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and launching a series of initiatives to respond to various cybersecurity challenges. The NCSC is now finalizing a revised strategy that is expected to be released by the end of this year.
The revised strategy is expected to recognize the dynamic nature of cyber threats and underscore Ireland’s commitment to continue to adapt and implement national policy responses to meet evolving cybersecurity needs. It will also reaffirm that Ireland’s status as a location of choice for many global technology companies means the country must have top-tier, advanced cyber readiness capabilities.
Palo Alto Networks is committed to working with governments globally, on both a policy and operational level, to help make their policies and strategies effective. We’re keen to engage and support Ireland’s efforts.
We are also committed to working with countries to grow their cybersecurity skills. We already work with the University of Limerick as part of our cybersecurity academy program through the Palo Alto Networks Authorised Academy Centre (AAC). The AAC program helps colleges and instructors prepare students for careers in the rapidly growing areas of cloud, network and infrastructure security. AAC focuses on skills needed to enable tomorrow's security professionals to protect their networks and data. We expect to add more Irish AACs moving forward.
As Ireland continues on its cybersecurity journey, we look forward to partnering with Irish organisations to help make that experience successful.