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Last month the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources published the Government’s National Cyber Security Strategy 2015-2017 (the Strategy).

In 2013 the World Economic Forum classified cyber related threats as one of the highest of all global risks from the perspective of impact and likelihood. This assessment was echoed at a national level in the Government’s 2014 National Risk Assessment. The development and proliferation of Information and Communications technology (ICT) has transformed the way in which society operates. There are few sectors of both society and the economy which do not rely on some form of ICT for their continued operation. This increased dependence has led to increased risk with threats such as hacking, cyber-crime, hacktivism, cyber espionage, software failures and even human error posing a direct threat not only to the daily lives of Irish citizens but also to the economy and the State. Continue Reading Government publishes National Cyber Security Strategy

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, or Drones, as they are more commonly known, have traditionally been regarded as a military tool, frequently featuring in media reports on US military action as well as TV dramas such as ‘Homeland’ and ‘House of Cards’. They are however, being increasingly put to a much broader spectrum of uses.

Drones have been used by humanitarian organisations to deliver food and medical supplies to crisis-stricken areas. Following typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, drones were used by international relief agency Medair to map terrain and create a detailed system of 3D aerial images of the region to make relief efforts more efficient. Amazon’s Prime Air development project has also garnered a lot of attention for its goal to use drones to deliver goods to customers in 30 minutes or less. Drones are also now available to buy in electronics stores and are used to capture videos and photographs by amateur and professional photographers. Continue Reading Drone Regulation Takes Flight

The Government have published a draft Consumer Rights Bill (the "Bill") which aims to reform Irish consumer law and streamline current statutory provisions in this area. The Bill is focused on transactions between traders and consumers. Though the Bill covers wide remit of consumer rights in relation to the supply of goods and services, it is interesting to note that it specifically addresses consumer rights in respect of digital content, extending the existing provisions as introduced pursuant to the European Consumer Rights Directive of 2011.

Continue Reading Government consults on new Consumer Rights Law covering Digital Content

Augmented Reality (AR) uses technology to overlay real world, physical environments with virtual components like light, sound, video, images or GPS data.  Once seen as a futuristic and ‘gimmicky’ area, AR is growing at a rapid pace and will soon form part of our everyday technology. Microsoft recently unveiled its AR wearable technology, ‘Hololens’ which is geared towards gaming and design and comes in the form of a headset. Continue Reading Augmented Reality Poses New Legal Challenges

On 3 February 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA") both issued cybersecurity reports to the US securities industry. The SEC is the US Federal Government’s securities regulatory agency, while FINRA is a private company that acts as a self-regulatory organisation for US securities firms. The publications highlight the increased US regulatory focus in this area.

SEC: Risk Alert – Cybersecurity Examination Sweep Summary

The Risk Alert summarises the SEC’s findings following its examination of 57 broker-dealers’ and 49 investment advisers’ controls regarding cybersecurity preparedness. Notable statistics from the firms examined include:

–       88% of broker-dealers and 74% of investment advisers have experienced cyberattacks either directly or through one of their vendors. The majority of the cyberattacks involved the use of malware and fraudulent emails but no single loss exceeded $75,000;

–       93% of broker-dealers and 83% of investment advisers have written information security policies in place, of those, 89% of broker-dealers and 57% of investment advisers periodically audit policy compliance;

–       58% of broker-dealers and 21% of investment advisers maintain cybersecurity insurance, however, only one broker-dealer and one investment adviser reported that they had filed claims; and

–       Only 15% of broker-dealers and 9% of investment advisers offer security guarantees to protect their clients against cyber related loss.Continue Reading Two US regulatory bodies simultaneously publish cybersecurity reports

In a scene reminiscent of the often overlooked 1983 gem ‘War Games’ (in which Matthew Broderick stars as a student who hacks into a military supercomputer and unwittingly ignites global nuclear warfare), the US and UK governments have announced that they intend to inflict cyber-attacks against each other in an attempt to beef up their respective defences to the reality of cyber terrorism.Continue Reading Is it a game or is it real?

On 6 November 2014, law enforcement agencies from 17 countries and over 40 digital investigators collaborated on one of the largest dark web enforcement actions to date. This was known as ‘Operation Onymous’. Up to 50 illicit online websites based on the TOR network were deactivated and closed and more than 400 hidden services were seized. Preet Bharara, the United States attorney, whose office announced the operation said that this was “the largest law enforcement action to date against criminal websites operating on the Tor network,”…
Continue Reading Authorities turn the Lights on in the Dark Web?

On 4th February 2014 ‘Year of Code’ was launched in the UK, a campaign designed to raise awareness and interest in computer programming. According to Rohan Silva, Chairman of the project, ‘Computer coding is the lingua franca of the global technology economy … If the UK is to remain at the vanguard of innovation worldwide, we need to ensure that our workforce is equipped with the skills of the 21st century, not of the past. Year of Code is all about making sure this vital change takes place – and fast.’

A number of events will be held over the…

Continue Reading Year of Code

The ILTG Global Technology Leaders Summit 2013 takes place in Mountain View this week, 14 and 15 May 2013. The event is a two day gathering which will emphasise the significant economic, political and commercial trends affecting global technology industries. A particular highlight of the event will be the Annual Silicon Valley Awards Gala which will recognise and award the top Irish Technology start-ups. The esteemed list of 20 Finalist fast Pitch companies can be viewed here. The event marks a great signal for the positive impact Ireland has on Silicon Valley business and is an unrivalled opportunity to showcase Irish start-ups on …

Continue Reading Global Technology Leaders Summit 2013 – Silicon Valley