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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 26 November 2021
kilkennyobserver.ie
News
Cybercrime costing us €9.6bn RESEARCH by Grant Thornton Ireland has revealed the overall cost of cybercrime to the Irish economy in 2020 to be €9.6bn. The ‘Economic Cost of Cybercrime ‘report published by Grant Thornton’s cyber security team estimates the direct and indirect costs incurred due to cyber-attacks against businesses, individuals, and government.
The 2020 research builds on Grant Thornton Ireland’s 2014 report which noted an overall cost to the economy of €630 million due to cybercrime, a figure which has exponentially increased in the latest data. Phishing and ransomware attacks, along with credit and debit card fraud, and operational technology focused attacks have all increased sig-
nificantly in recent years with ransomware attacks, in which cybercriminals demand payment for the release of compromised materials, by far the most significant form of cybercrime noted in 2020. Ransomware attacks alone and the cost of remedying such attacks reached over €2bn in 2020. The €2bn cost of ransomware attacks in 2020 estimates
the direct costs associated with these events ie. ransoms paid, as well as indirect costs such as infrastructure and IT bills and reputational damages incurred through public discussion and media coverage. The report also notes a 100% increase in computer viruses and a 20% increase in phishing attacks. This comes as credit and debit card fraud also increased,
leading to losses of €12m. Head of Cyber Security Services at Grant Thornton Ireland Mike Harris said: “Cybercriminals are innovative and opportunistic. This means we also need to be innovative in how we mitigate against potential cyber-attack risks. Ransomware attacks, for example, were once targeted mainly at consumers but we now know businesses,
Expert foodies: from left, Callum Priest (Gold and Best in Class Irish Pork, Bronze in the open Mystery Basket event), Ben Roche Silver in the Open Pasta,Tony Barry Lecturer and mentor, Stuart Dunne Maher (Silver in the Irish Pork), Liam Coad (Silver in the Organic Butchery, Bronze in the Mystery Basket event)
It’s food for though as four local WIT students take Chef Ireland awards FOUR students from the BA (Hons) in Culinary Arts at Waterford Institute of Technology have won Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals at Chef Ireland 2021. The Chef Ireland National Culinary Competitions, which take place every two years, for three days in No-
vember, as part of CATEX 2021 in the RDS, Dublin. The four second year students are from across the south east and across a range of areas of expertise.. • Callum Priest, a native of Tramore, Co Waterford won three accolades: Both Gold and Best in Class Irish
Pork, and Bronze in the open Mystery Basket event. • Ben Roche, from Enniscorthy, Co Wexford won Silver in the Open Pasta category. • Stuart Dunne Maher from Kilkenny city brought home Silver in the Irish Pork category. • Liam Coad, from Waterford
received two medals: Silver in the Organic Butchery and Bronze in the Mystery Basket event. Tony Barry, lecturer and mentor expressed his pride in the success of the students. “I am delighted once again for our students to have had success at Chef Ireland. All
four are second year students, and the commitment they have to their culinary skills in what has been a difficult year for all students, is to be admired. Bringing home a medal from such an event where participants are being observed live, by judges, is no easy feat.”
Marquez’s comic tale coming onstage at Watergate GABRIEL García Márquez’s darkly comic tale, ‘A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings’, is coming to the stage for children and adults to share at the WatergAte on December 2 and 3. The new show will be directed by Dan Colley and is co-produced by the Riverbank Arts
Centre and by Matthew Smyth In a kitchen, in a theatre, two storytellers and their audience find something remarkable — a very old man with enormous wings. The wise neighbour woman tells us he’s an angel. The priest says he’s an imposter. Something different
Pilgrims flock to see him, hoping to be healed by him, hoping for a gawp. They leave with something different than what they expected. This hit show, directed by Dan Colley and starring Genevieve Hulme-Beaman and Manus Halligan, is being brought back
to life after back-to-back sellout runs at Riverbank, Project Arts Centre and the Abbey Theatre at the end of 2019. At the moment the show is touring 13 different venues nationwide and the tour ends in Kilkenny in what promises to be a magnificent performance. An
Are Lingus threat to pull out of Heathrow THE International Airlines Group (IAG) would consider cutting flights at Heathrow if the airport goes ahead with its proposal to increase landing fees. IAG chief Luis Gallego told the Airlines 2021 conference in London that “if the rise in landing
charges goes ahead, I know IAG will not be alone in reconsidering our airlines’ use of Heathrow.” IAG airlines – including British Airways, Aer Lingus and Iberia – make up roughly 50% of all flights in and out of Britain’s largest airport.
Heathrow wants to raise landing fees by a massive 90% – –from £19.36 to £37.63 – in the next five years in an effort to offset the huge losses that resulted from the pandemic shutdown. Heathrow says it has suffered losses of £2 billion in 2020 alone.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) will allow the airport to raise the cap on airport charges by up to 76%. In February 2021, IAG argued that Heathrow had already paid out £4 billion in dividends to its shareholders.
extensive international tour is planned in 2022 and 2023. Adapted from Gabriel García Márquez’s Un señor muy viejo con unas alas enormes, this tale of magical realism is brought to the stage in search of its beautiful, strange, emotional richness.
Fund grants now open for Kilkennyx Grants are now available for Kilkenny communities to deliver water, biodiversity, and climate action initiatives, with the Community Water Development Fund now open for 2022.
organisations and governments are the main targets for these types of crimes.” The past year has demonstrated huge changes and rapid digital transformation for Irish businesses and their employees across the country which cybercriminals saw as an opportunity to attack. businesses, organisations and agencies in the midst of this transformation.
‘Serious’ burglary assault puts man in hospital A BURGLAR broke into a house in Kilkenny city and seriously assaulted a resident in their own home. The shocking incident occurred at a house in the city at around 8pm on the night. The man, believed to be in his 60s, has been hospitalised. Gardai have appealed to the public to assist their investigation into the aggravated burglary. They have urged drivers who used the Golf Links Road, Johnswell Road, the Ring Road and the N10 link road to the motorway between 8pom and midnight on Monday November 22 who may have dashcam footage to contact Kilkenny Garda Station on 056 777 5000. Meanwhile, An Garda Siochana relaunched Operation Thor on October 1, 2021, the operation actively targets organised crime gangs and repeat offenders through ‘coordinated crime prevention’. This year marks the seventh winter phase of Operation Thor. An Gardai released their top tips to keep your house safe and secure during the winter season. Lock up, light up and keep your house safe from burglars this winter by securing all doors and windows. And light up your home, by using timer switches when out.
Green light for 23 new homes mix Canview Ltd have been granted planning permission for the completion of the existing Togher Way residential development in Urlingford. Plans for Togher Way include the provision of 23 new houses consisting of: 3 x 2-bed singlestorey detached houses; 10 x 3-bed two-storey semi-detached houses; and 3 x 4-bed two-storey detached houses
