State to spend €10m on 'national security operations centre' to protect against cyberattacks

National Cyber Security Centre published Ireland’s first national cyber emergency plan on Tuesday on the process to follow if there is a major cyberattack.

The State is set to spend €10m on a “national security operations centre” to help protect local authorities around the country from crippling cyberattacks.

In a request for tender issued on Monday, the Local Government Management Agency — which works in partnership with all 31 local authorities in the country — said the centre would monitor the digital infrastructure of these councils and other local government bodies and constantly be on the lookout for threats to the sector.

It comes after the devastating cyberattack on the HSE in 2021. The Public Accounts Committee heard the immediate response to the attack cost the HSE more than €50m, while 32,000 letters were issued to people who had their data stolen in the attack.

This new security centre for local authorities will provide daily reports on “threat intelligence to the sector”, with “individualised reports” for each council, according to tender documents.

“It will notify individual participating organisations of alerts on their infrastructure with advice on how to respond to and mitigate the impact of these threats and will include options to automate responses to predefined scenarios,” it said.

It added there was “significant EU funding” being provided for the project, and the successful contractor for the centre would need to work with other agencies to share information on threats identified.

Cyber emergency plan

It comes as the National Cyber Security Centre published Ireland’s first national cyber emergency plan on Tuesday on the process to follow if there is a major cyberattack.

This plan includes a “full activation mode” if Ireland is faced with a national cyber emergency. This is defined as a cyber attack which causes sustained disruption of essential services or one that affects national security, leading to severe economic or social consequences or to loss of life.

Last month, the Irish Examiner reported Ireland was 'increasingly susceptible' to cyberattacks and attacks on our critical infrastructure.

During such an event, it is “vital that coherent and unified communications are maintained when issuing information and advisories to the public, victim organisations,” it said.

It warned there was a “far greater” risk of significant cyberattacks in Ireland in the next two years than there had been previously. It also set out a “whole-of-society” approach to preparing for and responding to a cyber emergency.

“Responding to cyber security emergencies effectively at a national level is a complex undertaking due to the very wide range of potential incidents, and the diverse nature, extent and consequences associated with these,” the National Cyber Security Centre director Richard Browne said.

Last month, the Irish Examiner reported Ireland was “increasingly susceptible” to cyberattacks and attacks on our critical infrastructure.

The Department of Defence’s Defence Policy Review 2024 — its first such review in five years — said Ireland’s security environment was undergoing “profound change”, with events overseas having a “major impact” here.

It said Ireland “is more vulnerable” than in the past to hostile states and groups, willing to use hybrid tactics to “exploit and undermine” Ireland’s security and democracy.

Earlier this year, meanwhile, Tánaiste Micheál Martin warned the risk of a cyberattack had “increased exponentially” since the war in Ukraine began.