Gerard Ryan

Sir Julian King, who was appointed to the key EU role in 2016, addressed Irish business leaders today at the latest in a series of talks hosted by the British Irish Chamber of Commerce (BICC) and sponsored by Eversheds Sutherland.

The former UK Ambassador to Ireland outlined the need to enhance cybersecurity and digital intelligence at the EU level in the face of growing numbers of online threats facing businesses.

Commissioner King also pointed towards the critical importance of Ireland, as a digital leader in Europe, to reinforce its national capacity to protect critical infrastructure and soft targets.

Sir Julian said: “In today’s increasingly uncertain world, cybersecurity is now crucial in protecting government information, elections and democratic institutions, industrial research, intellectual property as well as business plans. As home to many of Europe’s leading tech companies, Ireland’s business community has a unique opportunity to take the lead in building its digital resilience.

“For the malicious actors we face are not going away and only through cooperation can we tackle these threats. Rest assured that our collective efforts to strengthen cybersecurity in the EU – whether in the short, medium, or long term – will continue irrespective of the final Brexit outcome.”

Commenting ahead of the event, Gerard Ryan, partner at Eversheds Sutherland, added: “We are delighted to welcome the European Commissioner for the Security Union to speak at our Expert Policy Series here at the British Irish Chamber of Commerce.

“As one of the founding fathers of the Chamber, Commissioner King recognises the importance of Ireland’s growing technology sector and the many external challenges it faces. His commitment to addressing 21st century threats is an important reassurance for businesses who are embracing digital transformation to remain competitive and grow.”