Detective Chief Superintendent Barry Walsh: Inside Ireland's Fight Against Cybercrime

When ransomware hits, you have hours- not days- to respond. But should you prioritise survival or evidence preservation? And why are small businesses now the primary targets?

In this episode of The Cyber Insights Podcast (powered by Edge7 Networks), hosts Ronan Murray and Ian Finlayson sit down with Detective Chief Superintendent Barry Walsh, head of Ireland's Garda National Cybercrime Bureau, for a rare inside look at cybercrime from law enforcement's perspective.

From the Bureau's origins in 1991 with a single computer enthusiast to today's sophisticated unit handling intelligence, investigation, prevention, and victim support, Barry reveals how the cybercrime landscape has transformed- and why the fundamentals of attack vectors remain surprisingly consistent.

💡 You'll learn:

·       Why ransomware deployment now happens in hours instead of months

·       The critical first steps when your organisation is compromised

·       How the Bureau proactively identifies breaches before companies know they're hit

·       Why "security awareness training" is the wrong name for your most important defence

·       The backup mistakes that leave organisations completely exposed

·       How AI is making phishing emails professionally indistinguishable from legitimate ones

·       Why SMEs are now primary targets (hint: one person has the keys to the kingdom)

·       The shocking statistics on human factors in successful cyberattacks

Whether you're running an SME without dedicated IT or leading security for a large enterprise, this episode delivers practical guidance from someone who sees the full criminal psychology behind every attack.

🎧 Listen now and learn from Ireland's cybercrime frontline.