eir business backs .IE Digital Trust Mark for SMEs

eir business has formed a strategic partnership with .IE around the Digital Trust Mark, aimed at Irish small and medium-sized businesses.

Under the arrangement, eir business becomes a strategic partner of the Digital Trust Mark in Ireland, a scheme developed by .IE to assess whether a business's website, email and domain meet recognised digital standards. Companies that receive an A grade can display the mark on their website or in email signatures for 12 months.

The move comes as businesses face growing scrutiny over the security and authenticity of their online presence, particularly as customers and suppliers look for signs that emails and websites are genuine. The assessment is open to organisations using any domain extension, including .ie and .com.

.IE's programme examines 28 indicators across three parts of a business's digital presence: its domain, website and email systems. The review is designed to identify gaps in configuration that may not be visible to customers but could affect trust in communications and websites.

eir business will combine the independent assessment provided through the Digital Trust Mark with support for SMEs that want to act on the findings. It described the arrangement as a way to help smaller firms that may not have in-house specialist resources to review these issues themselves.

Susan Brady, Managing Director, eir business, said: "Trust is fundamental for every SME. Customers increasingly want confidence that the websites they visit and the emails they receive genuinely come from the organisations they represent.

"Yet many SMEs do not have the specialist resources to assess whether the protections supporting their digital presence are configured correctly. The Digital Trust Mark provides a practical and accessible way for businesses to understand where they stand and, importantly, demonstrate to customers that they take digital trust seriously.

"Our research shows that cyber risk is already creating a significant cost for Irish SMEs through lost time, operational disruption and reduced productivity. By giving businesses independent visibility of their website, domain and email configuration, the Digital Trust programme helps organisations identify improvements that can strengthen trust and resilience.

"As a strategic partner of the Digital Trust Mark in Ireland, eir business will combine .IE's independent assessment with the expertise and support SMEs need to turn the findings into practical action. It is another way we are helping Irish businesses make the complex simple, strengthen customer confidence and operate with greater certainty in an increasingly digital world."

Cyber costs

eir business cited its own research into the financial impact of cyber incidents on smaller firms in Ireland, which found that cyber incidents could be costing Irish SMEs as much as €3.4 billion a year, with more than 7.2 million working days lost through disruption, recovery and downtime.

The research, based on a survey of more than 260 SME IT decision-makers and supported by published data and external benchmarks, found that SMEs lose an average of 18.6 working days each year to cyber incidents. Businesses experiencing attacks typically reported four to five incidents a year, with a median cost of €8,700 per incident.

Access to third-party expertise was associated with annual savings of more than €5,500 and about nine fewer days of downtime, according to the research. That finding helps explain why telecoms and technology suppliers are increasingly packaging advisory support with security-related products and services for smaller companies.

Assessment process

The Digital Trust Mark does not replace cybersecurity software, technical audits or penetration testing. Instead, it provides a benchmark of how a company's website, domain and email align with recognised digital standards at the time of assessment.

Organisations that do not achieve an A grade receive information on areas requiring improvement. Those that meet the threshold can use the Digital Trust Mark as a visible sign that their online presence has been independently assessed.

Louise McKeown, Chief Growth Officer, .IE, said: "An A-grade earns the Digital Trust Mark, giving businesses a simple and visible way to demonstrate their commitment to digital trust.

"Just as consumers look for trusted quality marks in other areas, the Digital Trust Mark helps customers identify organisations whose online presence has been independently assessed against recognised standards.

"For SMEs, that trust can be a valuable differentiator. It shows customers, suppliers and partners that the organisation is taking practical steps to maintain a trustworthy digital presence."

The Digital Trust Mark was introduced by .IE earlier this year. Research conducted for .IE among 354 essential Irish organisations found that 17% had experienced a significant cyberattack since 2024.