In today’s fast-moving digital landscape, the risk environment for businesses in Ireland and beyond is more complex than ever. According to the latest PwC Digital Trust Insights Survey 2026, organisations across the globe are adapting their cyber strategies in response to geopolitics, emerging technologies and evolving threats. PwC Meanwhile, digital transformation is unlocking immense opportunities, and exposing businesses to new vulnerabilities. That is why cyber protection insurance has become a strategic necessity, rather than simply a compliance add-on. At Dolmen Insurance, we bring deep expertise in this area and partner with Irish businesses, both hear and with presences abroad, to ensure they are protected, responsive and resilient.
The shifting threat landscape
The PwC survey reveals that 57 % of Irish organisations are increasing investment in cyber-risk management. Moreover, 41 % say they are changing their cyber-insurance policies in response to evolving risks. If your insurance provider hasn’t addressed this and your working from and off the shelf policy, it may be time to review. Significantly, the top three threats identified include cloud vulnerabilities, attacks on connected products and third-party breaches.
As such, the business risk profile has changed. No longer is cyber-security only about firewalls and antivirus. It now intersects strategy, governance, supply-chain, regulatory compliance and digital innovation. In turn this evolution means that traditional risk management may no longer suffice.
For Irish firms, the stakes are high. While investment in cyber-defence is rising, the survey finds that just 8 % of organisations in Ireland are significantly favouring proactive over reactive spending. That signals a potential shortfall in resilience: being ready ahead of an incident is more effective than scrambling in response. At Dolmen our cyber polices have alway been proactive, with cyber security audits as standard.
Why cyber protection insurance matters
Given the dynamic risk landscape, having robust cyber-insurance cover is essential. There are four key reasons why:
1. Financial stability & business continuity
A cyber incident can carry immediate costs, data breach remediation, forensic investigation, regulatory fines, notification of affected parties, ransom demands, system downtime and reputational damage. According to PWC, Globally, 39 % of organisations report a data breach cost over US$500 000 in the last three years. Without insurance, the financial burden may fall entirely on the business, potentially threatening survival.
2. Regulatory and third-party obligations
Regulators such as under the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) and the Network and Information Security Directive 2 (NIS 2) are raising the bar for cyber-resilience and reporting. If your business is part of a supply chain or serves regulated clients, you may be required to demonstrate cyber-risk mitigation, and insurance becomes part of that proof-point.
3. Complex, interconnected threats
As the survey shows, threats now span cloud services, connected devices, third-party vendors and exploits of artificial intelligence. PwC Because the attack surface has expanded, the range of exposures is also increasing, which means that cyber cover must be designed to respond to a broad set of eventualities, not just basic data-breaches.
4. Strategic value and peace of mind
When you know you have the right cover and a competent response partner, you can focus on growth and innovation with confidence. Insurance is not a substitute for good controls, but it is a critical component of a mature cyber-risk strategy.
What to look for in cyber protection insurance
Not all cyber-cover is created equal. To secure meaningful protection, you should consider some of the following elements:
- Incident response support: Does the policy include access to forensic investigators, legal advisors, crisis-communications experts and ransom negotiators? An insurer should activate these resources rapidly.
- Business-interruption cover: Beyond direct losses from the breach, does the cover extend to downtime, lost revenue and supplier disruptions?
- Third-party liability: If your business is responsible for compromised customer data or suffers from supplier failure, third-party claims may arise. The policy should respond accordingly.
- Regulatory fines and investigations: Many jurisdictions now hold businesses accountable for data-protection failures. Cover that supports legal and regulatory costs matters.
- Tailored risk calibration: The cover should reflect your specific technology stack, data flows, vendor relationships and threat profile. A one-size-fits-all product may leave gaps.
- Proactive risk-management support: Ideally, the insurer or broker should also offer resources to reduce risk: training, vulnerability assessments, incident response plans.
How Dolmen Insurance brings cyber expertise to Irish businesses
At Dolmen Insurance we recognise the urgency of cyber-resilience in Ireland’s business environment. Accordingly, we have built a robust proposition informed by local experience, international standards and the technological disruption facing businesses.
Advisory-led approach
We begin by working closely with you to assess your digital footprint, vendor ecosystem and data-flows. We ask: where are your systems hosted? Which connections are mission-critical? Who can access your network remotely? By doing that we help you identify exposures and highlight controls needed.
Tailored insurance solutions
Rather than offering generic cover, our team sources policies that reflect your size, sector and technology usage. We help you select limits, deductibles, response-teams and ancillary services that match your risk profile. Many Irish businesses need not only data-breach protection but also business-interruption, ransomware cover, legal fees and reputational response. We deliver that. dolmen-insurance.ie+1
Ongoing support and education
We believe that insurance must be complemented by strong risk-management practices. Thus, our clients benefit from staff-training, vulnerability-assessments and incident-response planning. By helping you strengthen readiness, we reduce the likelihood of a claim and improve premium affordability. dolmen-insurance.ie
Local knowledge, global reach
Operating in Ireland’s landscape means we understand GDPR, Irish data-protection enforcement, supplier-risk relationships and the specific cyber-threat environment in the Irish market. We combine this local insight with strong partnerships with leading cyber-insurers. Our clients get access to Irish-based support, with global back-office capability. dolmen-insurance.ie
Spotlight on the PwC findings & their relevance
The PwC report brings several key findings into focus, each of which underscores the importance of cyber protection insurance.
- With 57 % of Irish organisations increasing cyber-risk investment, businesses are recognising the urgency of digital defence.
- The fact that 41 % are changing their cyber-insurance policies signals that cover is now part of strategic decision-making.
- The relatively low number (8 %) of Irish firms heavily favouring proactive over reactive spending shows that many still lean too heavily on crisis-response.
- With only 8 % of Irish organisations actively implementing quantum-resistant technologies (versus 22 % globally) the threat-horizon is advancing more quickly than defence-horizon.
In light of these findings, insurance becomes a keystone of cyber resilience. It fills the gap between investment in controls and the “what if” scenario of a major incident.
Three practical steps for Irish business owners
To act decisively and strengthen your cyber resilience, here are three practical steps to consider:
Step 1: Audit your digital footprint
Map your core systems, vendor relationships, cloud-services, connected devices and data-flows. Identify what would happen if a key system failed or data were exposed. Ask: how long could we operate if our systems were taken offline?
Step 2: Review your insurance coverage
Many businesses still assume traditional business-insurance covers cyber risks. However, research shows, nearly half of Irish businesses remain without dedicated cyber cover. Review your policy: does it include data-breach, ransomware, third-party liability, business-interruption and regulatory-response? If not, speak to your broker.
Step 3: Embed risk-management practices
Insurance provides a safety-net, but you still need strong controls. Train your staff, apply multi-factor authentication, ensure you have offline backups, test incident-response plans and review third-party vendor risk. Together these measures lower the likelihood and impact of an attack.
The cost of complacency
Failing to act risks far more than immediate financial loss. For instance:
- Downtime may cost more than remediation. The PwC survey found many firms still lean on reactive responses. PwC
- Regulatory fines under GDPR or upcoming AI-laws may hit unprepared firms.
- Reputational damage from a breach can erode customer trust and supplier relationships.
- For SMEs, lacking deep financial reserves, a major cyber-loss could threaten the entire business.
In short: cyber risk is no longer optional. It should sit alongside fire-safety, employment-liability and property-insurance in your risk-portfolio.
Why Dolmen Insurance is your partner in this journey
When you choose Dolmen Insurance you are choosing more than a policy. You are gaining a partner that:
- Combines expert cyber-insurance knowledge with a deep understanding of the Irish market.
- Helps you structure cover that matches your threat-profile rather than relying on off-the-shelf solutions.
- Provides ongoing advice, education and support to make your business cyber-resilient.
- Puts you in the best position to focus on innovation, growth and digital transformation, without exposing yourself to crippling risk.
So what can you do next?
The digital era is not waiting. Threats are evolving, technology is advancing and regulatory scrutiny is rising. Businesses in Ireland face a more complex risk-environment than ever. The PwC Digital Trust Insights 2026 survey makes it clear: investment is rising, but many organisations still rely too heavily on reactive responses. That is why cyber protection insurance deserves a central place in the risk-management strategy.
At Dolmen Insurance we have built the expertise, the cover-capabilities and the local insight to support Irish businesses of all sizes. Whether you are an SME or a larger enterprise, you cannot afford to treat cyber cover as optional. Now is the time to audit your risk, secure your cover and embed strong controls. Let us help you turn uncertainty into resilience, so you can grow boldly and protect what matters most.
Feel free to contact our team today to explore how we can tailor a cyber-insurance solution for you.
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this article is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice or a recommendation to purchase any specific insurance product. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy at the time of publication, Dolmen Insurance accepts no responsibility for any errors or omissions. Cyber insurance coverage varies depending on individual policies and insurers; therefore, businesses should seek tailored advice to assess their specific needs and exposures. References to third-party sources, including PwC’s Global Digital Trust Insights Survey, are provided for context and do not imply endorsement or affiliation. For personalised guidance, please contact Dolmen Insurance directly to discuss your circumstances and obtain appropriate professional advice.
