Cybersecurity Series E23: Building Cyber Resilience in the AI Era with Grant Thornton Ireland's Howard Shortt

Today's guest is Howard Shortt, Cybersecurity & Data Privacy Partner at Grant Thornton Ireland. Founded in 1924, Grant Thornton Ireland is a leading professional services firm providing audit, tax and advisory services to businesses. Combining global reach with local expertise, it helps clients navigate complex financial, regulatory and strategic challenges. Its teams work across a wide range of industries, delivering practical insights and solutions that support growth, improve performance and strengthen governance.

Howard is an experienced business leader specialising in cybersecurity, governance and cyber threat risk management. He applies leading practices in security operations, forensic investigation and team leadership to address incident response, critical infrastructure protection, threat mitigation and regulatory compliance. Howard also delivers cyber security advisory services across multiple countries and sectors, and is a trusted advisor to senior leaders, translating complex technical issues into clear, actionable insight.

In the episode, Howard discusses:

0:00 His journey from retail jobs to cybersecurity and digital forensics expert

2:39 How a childhood curiosity sparked lifelong passion for cybersecurity and forensics

5:31 Shaping a lifelong consulting career with a customer-focused mindset

7:12 How AI is accelerating cyber threats and strengthening defences simultaneously

8:40 Why Irish businesses remain underprepared for evolving AI-driven cyber threats

9:40 How a lack of preparation undermines cyber resilience and response

11:36 Cyber resilience requires leadership preparation, communication and realistic exercises

13:45 Cybersecurity demands constant learning, adaptation and mastering fundamentals

16:15 His advice to start with cybersecurity fundamentals and build knowledge step by step

To find out more about all the great work happening at Grant Thornton Ireland, check out the website www.grantthornton.ie