Security Roundup May 2026
Verizon’s 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report reveals that exploiting software vulnerabilities has become the leading cause of breaches, surpassing stolen credentials for the first time. The study of 31,000 incidents shows only 26% of CISA‑listed known‑exploited flaws were patched, a drop from 38% last year, while median remediation time increased by 11 days. Supply‑chain attacks jumped 60% to represent 48% of incidents, and employee use of unapproved “shadow AI” tripled to 45% of the workforce. Concurrently, Europol’s IOCTA highlights AI‑driven phishing, crypto‑facilitated ransomware, and a surge in ransomware variants, while European regulators intensify data‑protection enforcement, probing Shein’s cross‑border transfers and fining Permanent TSB €277,500.
Lessons for Irish Organisations From the Verizon 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR)
The Verizon 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report, analyzing over 31,000 incidents, shows vulnerability exploitation now accounts for 31% of breaches, surpassing stolen credentials at 13%. Only 26% of critical CISA‑listed vulnerabilities were fully remediated in 2025, while ransomware featured in...
Security Roundup February 2026
Dr Valerie Lyons, BH Consulting’s COO, will present at RSA 2026, focusing on the human‑rights‑centric "Dignity by Design" concept, after beating a 90% rejection rate. The European Commission unveiled a revamped Cybersecurity Act aimed at tightening ICT supply‑chain security and...
Why a Gradual Move Away From US Tech Is a Good Idea
Brian Honan’s article in the Irish Examiner warns Irish small businesses and families that dependence on US‑based technology platforms can jeopardise digital sovereignty. He cites scenarios where tariffs, sanctions or policy shifts could abruptly block access to email, documents or...
Forget Predictions: True 2026 Cybersecurity Priorities From Leaders
BH Consulting’s CEO Brian Honan was featured in Security Week, outlining the firm’s view of the top cybersecurity priorities for 2026. The piece highlights BH Consulting’s 20‑year track record, ISO‑27001 certification, and its portfolio of services including CISO/DPO as‑a‑service, audits...
Data Protection Day 2026: Addressing Common Challenges
The Data Protection Day 2026 blog highlights six persistent GDPR challenges—stale ROPAs, weak retention schedules, overlooked paper records, unprepared DSAR processes, outdated accountability documentation, and insufficient vendor risk controls. It explains how each issue creates hidden exposure and offers concrete...
The EU Digital Omnibus
On 19 November 2025 the European Commission unveiled the Digital Omnibus, a package of draft laws that consolidates the EU’s fragmented digital regulatory landscape. It pairs the Data Union Strategy and a proposed European Business Wallet to boost data access for AI...