Paul Donegan
Ireland Country Manager, Fortinet
In today’s digital economy, organisations drown in data. Security teams juggle relentless alerts, logs and intelligence from disparate tools — where each new solution adds visibility but also complexity.
A flood of information is risky. Cybersecurity teams are overwhelmed by noise, alert fatigue sets in, response times slow and critical threats slip through undetected. The issue for organisations now isn’t about collecting data; it’s knowing what data to focus on and how to use it to strengthen defences.
Ireland is also facing a persistent shortage of qualified cybersecurity professionals. This means it’s only getting more difficult for organisations to keep pace with the growing speed and sophistication of cyber threats.
AI turning noise to insight
AI is a critical ally in cutting through cybersecurity complexity. Its ability to automatically analyse, correlate and prioritise security events can highlight real threats while filtering out the noise. This allows cybersecurity teams to focus on the incidents that truly matter. Rather than chase false alarms, they can secure threats impacting systems, data, compliance and, ultimately, a company’s bottom line.
AI is most powerful when it augments human skills and enhances expertise. By automating routine triage and detection, AI frees up skilled professionals to focus on strategy, threat hunting and high-stakes response. Behaviour-based detection also enables the discovery of sophisticated attacks that traditional tools may miss.
In the face of escalating threats,
data overload and talent shortages,
businesses need to rethink
their cybersecurity posture.
Integrated defence through automation
To truly transform cybersecurity operations, data must be both analysed and acted upon — quickly and across the entire IT environment. This is where a platform approach, such as the Fortinet Security Fabric, adds value by delivering integrated, end-to-end protection across networks, cloud environments and endpoints through a unified, automated system.
With this approach, threat intelligence becomes actionable in real time. Automated workflows can contain threats before they spread, reducing dwell time and minimising business disruption. Integration also strengthens governance and reduces the operational overhead of managing siloed systems.
How businesses can respond
In the face of escalating threats, data overload and talent shortages, businesses need to rethink their cybersecurity posture. The future lies in systems that are not only intelligent but also integrated and automated. These systems enable leaders and security teams to drive better decisions as well as faster, more effective threat responses.
Investing in AI-powered, connected security architectures will help organisations stay resilient, reduce complexity and focus resources where they’re needed most. Whether you’re a government agency, financial institution or growing SME, the ability to translate data into timely action is a strategic imperative.
