16% of companies suffered technology-related security incident in past year
Almost one-fifth of enterprises in Ireland have reported at least one technology-related security incident in the last 12 months.
Figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show the increasing issues faced by companies conducting their business online.
According to the CSO, this includes a Denial of Service attack, ransomware attack or software failure, cited by 16% of companies.
These attacks can have significant consequences, with some 5% of companies reporting that it resulted in the destruction or corruption of data and almost 3% saying that it resulted in the disclosure of confidential data.
The report shows the use of social media is increasing across all sectors.
Some 71% of Irish companies used some type of social media last year, up from 67% in 2017.
There was a general increase in the use of social networks, blogging and multimedia content this year when compared with figures published in 2017.
Almost three-quarters of companies say that their primary use of social media is to connect with customers.
The report also confirms that nearly two-thirds of large firms had online sales which accounted for 38% of their total sales. The figure is lower for small firms, with 36% reporting that online sales accounted for 29% of sales.
The data also showed that 79% of firms had a website, while 95% used a broadband connection to the internet.
Half of all small businesses reported making online purchases, while 63% of medium-sized businesses make more than one-third of their purchases online.
71% of large enterprises made e-Commerce purchases which amounted to 42% of their total purchases.
Almost 6% of enterprises reported they had trouble selling to other EU countries via a website or apps during 2019. The most common issue noted was the high cost of delivering or returning products, followed by difficulties solving complaints and disputes at 2.1%.
The report confirms that internet access is becoming a more prominent aspect of business in Ireland. Four-out-of-five companies reported that they have a website, with the most common services provided via the website including links or references to social media accounts.
Just 28% of businesses said that they accept online orders or reservations via a website.
