Tag Archives: Small Firms Association. SFA

AN URGENT warning has been issued to Clare’s business community following a sharp spike in cyber attacks targeting small to medium enterprises. Cyber security expert Edel Mee, who is based in Clarecastle, backed a recent appeal sent by The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau (GNCCB) to the Small Firms Association (SFA). Both the NCSC and GNCCB warned of “a trend of small and medium-sized businesses being increasingly targeted by ransomware groups”. Ransomware attacks are just one of the multiple types of cyber crime directed at business and other organisations. They involve sending malware, mainly by email, which encrypts the user’s data. The cyber criminals then demand a ransom to unlock the system. While high profile cases involving the Health Service Executive (HSE) and other large organisations have received significant media attention, Edel said they are happening regularly to smaller enterprises. “IT security on a network is like your immune system,” she said. “If …

A Small Firms Association (SFA) delegation has met with Minister for Business & Employment, Gerald Nash to set out their priorities. “The small business sector currently employs half the private sector workforce, some 700,000 people. Whilst an economic recovery is starting to take hold, many small businesses are just getting back on their feet, and their balance sheets remain challenged after after years of recession,” SFA chairman, AJ Noonan said. “In order to secure the recovery and set small businesses on a path to growth, it is essential that competitiveness issues are prioritised in Government,” he added. Irish labour costs are now 30.8% more than in the UK, 16% more than the EU average and 11th highest in Europe. “This is putting us at a distinct competitive disadvantage, and is a particular problem for SMEs in the services sector where the cost of employing an individual accounts for over 80% of location sensitive business costs ( costs which vary by …