Ireland is on “high alert” for cyberattacks as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues, the Foreign Affairs Minister has told The Pat Kenny Show.
Negotiators from both sides are resuming talks today as the war in Ukraine enters its 19th day.
More than 2.5 million people have now fled the violence, with nearly 6,000 refugees having in Ireland so far.
On The Pat Kenny Show this morning, Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said the EU countries have experienced a big increase in cyberattacks since the invasion began.
“We are certainly on high alert for cyberattacks right now,” he said. “We know in the last two to three weeks, cyberattacks across the EU have increased by 20% to 25%.
“There seems to be a view that is held by a very small number of people that, by being neutral and staying out of conflicts like this that, all of a sudden, Ireland won’t be threatened.
“I think that is very naïve.”
HSE cyberattack
Minister Coveney said last year’s cyberattack on the HSE cost an “enormous amount of money” to resolve.
“We know that in the middle of COVID, our health service was targeted – by non-state actors we understand, coming from east of the EU, probably in Russia.
“That cost an enormous amount of money to solve but importantly, it put people’s lives at risk during a very, very sensitive period.
“So, we know that Ireland along with all other EU countries can and will be targeted and we need to put as much fence in place as we can to respond to that and we are doing that.”
Threat
He said Ireland would do all it can to protect itself from cyberattacks but insisted the threat cannot be completely defended against.
“The truth is that that no country … even the US, with all their wealth and might had large sections of their energy network shut down by cyberattacks.
“So, this is a constant threat which is why we need to continue to put money and resources and people into this area – which we are doing by the way.
“We are also partnering with our EU colleagues, sharing information. We have for example, seconded members of the Defence Forces to Europe’s cyber security research centre in Tallinn in Estonia, where there is a lot of expertise.
“So, we are learning from each other, we are sharing information and we are doing everything we can to protect the Irish people from cyberattacks – but that will be an ongoing challenge.”
Drawn-out war
Minister Coveney said he still hopes the war can be brought to swift end.
“I don’t think we should resign ourselves to months and months and months of war,” he said.
“What we are seeing now is the kind of tactics we have seen in Syria from Russia. To essentially almost blanket bomb cities to break the spirit of a people. To cause such suffering as to, what some people think will lead to surrender.
“But Ukraine, in terms of its people, are not likely to break. In anything, their resolve in getting stronger. The support they are getting from the EU, the UK and the US will continue to get stronger so what we need to avoid here is another Syria in the heart of Europe.”
Minister Coveney said a “long drawn-out war with huge casualties” must be avoided.
He said Ireland would advocate for tougher sanctions and work with the international community to “put pressure on Moscow to end this brutality as soon as possible and move to negotiating table”.
