The National Cyber Security Centre

What The National Cyber Security Centre does

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is Ireland's designated national cyber security authority, founded in 2011 as an operational arm of the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration and headquartered in Dublin. It leads management of major cyber security incidents across government, advises citizens and businesses on cyber threats, and serves as Ireland's single point of contact for the EU Network and Information Security Directive (NIS/NIS2). Internationally accredited CSIRT-IE sits at the core of the technical stack, providing national incident response and an Early Warning Service that delivers IP-based vulnerability notifications derived from feeds including Shadowserver Foundation scans and ENISA Threat Landscape reports.

NCSC's product portfolio is organized around interconnected, non-commercial programmes rather than discrete commercial offerings. CSIRT-IE handles national incident response; the Cyber CORE Project (launched January 2024 under EU Digital Europe Programme co-funding) establishes sector coordination groups across Government, Energy, Digital Infrastructure, Local Government, Transport, Education, Health, and SMEs, with GovCORE (April 2022) already connecting all 28 Government Departments and Agencies; the CyFun (Cyber Fundamentals) framework, co-owned with Belgium's CCB and Romania, provides a NIST CSF-aligned certification pathway for NIS2 compliance with a national certification scheme expected by 2027; SecureAI (launched 2026) provides AI cybersecurity risk assessment and deployment guidance for the public sector; NCC-IE coordinates Ireland's cybersecurity ecosystem and serves as the national point of contact for the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre; and the SME Cyber Security Improvement Grant has deployed €1,743,513.22 to 50 SMEs in 2024/2025.

NCSC is not a commercial entity and generates no revenue from services. It is funded through Irish government budget allocations to its parent department and through EU co-funding under the Digital Europe Programme (notably the three-year Cyber CORE Project). All guidance, advisories, incident reporting, and the Early Warning Service are provided free of charge to government bodies, Operators of Essential Services, Digital Service Providers, SMEs, and citizens. Go-to-market is primarily community-led (sector CORE networks with quarterly meetings) and event-driven (national and EU emergency response exercises, webinars, and published guidance), with distribution through official website portals, RSS feeds, Twitter (@ncsc_gov_ie), email notifications, and downloadable PDF guidance documents.

Name

The National Cyber Security Centre

Legal name

National Cyber Security Centre

Website

https://ncsc.gov.ie

Company type

Public

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The National Cyber Security Centre is Ireland's national cyber security authority, providing incident response, threat intelligence, and NIS2 compliance guidance to government departments, critical infrastructure operators, SMEs, and citizens through CSIRT-IE, the sector-specific Cyber CORE coordination network, and the CyFun certification framework.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

National Cybersecurity Services

NAICS

National Security (928110), Public Administration (92), Regulation and Administration of Communications, Electric, Gas, and Other Utilities (92613)

SIC

Services-Business Services, Nec (7389)

akta.pro primary industry

Cyber Defense & Information Security (National Security) (BPAIAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) & NERC-CIP Compliance (HDADAJAC), Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) Advisory & Assessments (BPAKAHAH), Policy & Compliance Management (HDADAIAB)

Keywords

• National cyber security
• Incident response services
• Cybersecurity guidance
• Threat intelligence sharing
• NIS2 compliance support

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: NCSC is an operational arm of the Department of the Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, funded through government budget allocations.
2. EU Digital Europe Programme Funding: Cyber CORE project and NCC-IE receive EU co-funding through the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC) under the Digital Europe Programme for developing and strengthening the CORE Network and cybersecurity ecosystem.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The NCSC provides national-level cybersecurity incident response, threat intelligence, and resilience services to Irish government departments, critical infrastructure operators, and SMEs. It coordinates Ireland's response to cyber threats, publishes authoritative cybersecurity guidance (including the CyFun framework and SecureAI guidance), and serves as the regulatory authority for NIS2 Directive compliance for operators of essential services (OES) and digital service providers (DSPs). All services are delivered free of charge as a public good funded by the Irish state.

Product overview

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) operates as Ireland's government cybersecurity agency offering a portfolio of interconnected services rather than a single commercial product. The core offerings include CSIRT-IE for national incident response, the Cyber CORE network for cross-sector coordination, CyFun certification for NIS2 compliance assessment, SecureAI for AI deployment security, and the Early Warning Service for threat notifications. Supporting services include SME CORE providing free cybersecurity guidance to small businesses, NCC-IE coordinating with EU cybersecurity competence networks and managing grant programmes, and comprehensive NIS2 guidance and documentation resources. These services work together to fulfill the NCSC's mission of protecting government systems and critical infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SME CORE: Part of wider cyber security network responsible for advising and informing SMEs of best practice in network information security.
• Cyber CORE
• CyFun (Cyber Fundamentals)
• SecureAI
• NCC-IE
• GovCORE

Products and services

• CSIRT-IE (Computer Security Incident Response Team - Ireland) Ireland's national Computer Security Incident Response Team providing incident response coordination and support for government departments, critical infrastructure operators, and Irish organisations experiencing cybersecurity incidents.
• Early Warning Service Free threat intelligence service providing early warning alerts about cyber threats, vulnerabilities, and malicious activity relevant to Irish organisations, SMEs, and critical infrastructure operators.
• CyFun Cybersecurity Framework National cybersecurity framework providing standardised guidance for organisations to assess and improve their cybersecurity maturity and resilience posture.
• SecureAI Guidance Cybersecurity guidance addressing the safe and secure adoption of artificial intelligence systems by Irish organisations.
• SME CORE Web-based platform delivering tailored cybersecurity resources, guidance, and tools specifically designed for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ireland.
• Cyber CORE Cybersecurity resource platform providing foundational cyber resilience content and access to NCSC services for the Irish SME community.
• NCC-IE (National Cyber Coordination - Ireland) National cyber coordination platform supporting engagement with critical infrastructure operators and operators of essential services (OES) and digital service providers (DSPs) under the NIS2 framework.
• NIS2 Compliance Support and Guidance Regulatory guidance and support services assisting Irish organisations with transposition and compliance obligations under the EU NIS2 Directive.

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024NCC-IE serves as Ireland's national point of contact for the ECCC, supporting its mission to strengthen EU strategic autonomy and develop technology and industrial cybersecurity capacities. ECCC provides funding through Digital Europe Programme for NCC-IE operations and Cyber CORE project.
• Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium (CCB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIreland became co-owner of the CyFun (CyberFundamentals) framework originally developed by Belgium's CCB. Joint ownership enables alignment of certification schemes and recognition of CyFun as NIS2 compliance demonstration across jurisdictions.
• Cyber IrelandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCC-IE has been working with Cyber Ireland since founding to boost community development, improve cybersecurity resilience, support uptake of grants by SMEs, identify opportunities for Irish cybersecurity companies, and disseminate information on NCC-IE activities.
• Shadowserver FoundationmajorTechnology or IntegrationCSIRT-IE receives malicious activity and vulnerability information from Shadowserver Foundation, which performs daily scans of entire IPv4 and IPv6 internet. Special Reports on compromised hosts, bot infections, and vulnerable protocols support NCSC's situational awareness and Early Warning Service.
• ENISA (European Union Agency for Cybersecurity)majorTechnology or IntegrationCSIRT-IE incorporates ENISA threat landscape reports and publications into intelligence gathering. ENISA Threat Landscape reports provide prime threats, major trends, threat actors, attack techniques, and mitigation measures.
• Enterprise IrelandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCC-IE Cyber Security Improvement Grant was available to Irish SMEs that had received a Cybersecurity Report from Enterprise Ireland's Cyber Security Review process, creating linkage between national support mechanisms.
• An Garda SíochánamajorOthersNCSC guidance directs businesses to report cybercrime incidents to local Garda stations. Law enforcement involvement in criminal investigations and cybercrime trend tracking complements NCSC's technical advisory role.
• National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCSC's Online Account Security guide is approved by NALA for plain English readability, ensuring accessibility for adults with literacy challenges.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BSI (Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik): Germany's federal cybersecurity authority providing incident response, NIS2 oversight, and cybersecurity guidance to government, critical infrastructure, and citizens. Comparable in scope, statutory authority, and breadth of services offered to Irish constituents.
• NCSC Netherlands (Nationaal Cyber Security Centrum): Netherlands' national cybersecurity center providing CSIRT, threat intelligence, and critical infrastructure coordination. Similar operational structure and SME engagement model to Ireland's NCSC.
• Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC): Australia's national cybersecurity hub providing incident response, threat intelligence, and cybersecurity guidance to government, critical infrastructure, and businesses. Comparable in service portfolio, statutory authority, and stakeholder engagement model.
• UK National Cyber Security Centre: UK NCSC is the closest international peer: a national cybersecurity authority providing incident response (CSIRT), threat intelligence, critical infrastructure protection, and guidance to government, businesses, and citizens. Operates with similar statutory mandate, governance structure, and service portfolio to Ireland's NCSC.
• Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium (CCB): Belgium's national cybersecurity center and originator of the CyFun framework now co-owned by Ireland. Directly comparable in mandate, NIS implementation role, and certification framework ownership—plus an active partnership relationship with NCSC.
• ANSSI (Agence Nationale de la Sécurité des Systèmes d'Information): France's national cybersecurity agency, responsible for NIS/NIS2 implementation, incident response, and certification frameworks. Directly comparable to NCSC in mandate, scale, and service offerings including cybersecurity advisory and CSIRT operations.
• NCSC New Zealand: New Zealand's national cybersecurity authority providing CERT NZ integration, incident response, and critical infrastructure protection. Comparable in scale, mandate, and services portfolio to Ireland's NCSC.
• Swiss National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC): Switzerland's national cybersecurity center within the Federal Intelligence Service providing CSIRT coordination, NIS-equivalent oversight, and cyber threat intelligence. Comparable in mandate, regulatory authority, and service structure to Ireland's NCSC.

Broad incumbents

• ENISA (European Union Agency for Cybersecurity): EU-wide cybersecurity agency that supports NCSC's operations through threat landscape reports, coordinates CSIRTs network across member states, and provides strategic policy guidance. Operates as a broader incumbent across all 27 member states rather than a single national jurisdiction.
• CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency): US federal cybersecurity agency with similar mandate covering federal civilian networks, critical infrastructure, and national coordination. Operates at larger scale across broader US jurisdiction but with parallel functions in incident response, threat intelligence, and advisory services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ncsc_gov_ie
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ncsc-ie

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The National Cyber Security Centre