Cyber Resilience, Standards, and Safety in a Connected World:
Breakfast Briefing, hosted by FRS Recruitment & exida

In celebration of its 25th anniversary, exida partnered with FRS Recruitment to host a thought-provoking breakfast briefing at the Oakwood Hotel in Shannon, Co. Clare.

The was predominantly on tackling the evolving cyber security landscape and exploring how the new Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) is reshaping industry expectations across sectors.

The event brought together key voices from engineering, life sciences, and cybersecurity to share experiences, offer insights, and highlight the critical importance of future-proofing systems, processes, and talent.

Opening Reflection:

Chris O’Brien, CEO of exida, opened the session by setting the scene:

“Cyber threats are real and recurring. While we strive to get to a standard solution, it's extremely difficult in practice.”

Chris underscored the complexity of today's threat landscape, noting that the “attack surface” now extends far beyond physical products. From integrated supply chains to data flows involving multiple users, modern systems demand comprehensive cyber strategies.

The Cyber Resilience Act, while challenging to navigate, represents a necessary step forward in codifying best practices:

“Sometimes it feels like we’re in the middle of a storm – between regulations and emerging threats – but knowledge and standards are helping us steer a path.”

He also discussed the ALARP principle – keeping risk “as low as reasonably possible” – reminding attendees of the need to carefully balance investment in security with risk probability.

Industry Perspectives – Panel Discussion:

The panel discussion was hosted by Lynne McCormack, General Manager of FRS Recruitment, who brought structure, focus, and insight to the dialogue. Her questions encouraged speakers to explore the deeper tensions between regulation, innovation, and workforce readiness.

Lynne framed the discussion around three key themes:

The growing importance of regulatory compliance, especially in the context of the Cyber Resilience Act
The need for adaptability in an ever-changing technological landscape
The critical challenge of ensuring organisations attract and retain the right talent – individuals who can both safeguard digital infrastructure and help drive innovation

“We’re all navigating the same storm – balancing compliance with creativity, and resilience with growth,” Lynne noted, underscoring the dual responsibility faced by modern organisations.

Lynne weaved together perspectives from cybersecurity, life sciences, automotive engineering, and recruitment into a cohesive and actionable narrative, making clear that cyber resilience isn’t just a technical issue, but a strategic one.

Felipe Fernandes, Senior Manager at Jaguar Land Rover, offered a detailed look at how interconnectivity has transformed risk in the automotive sector:

“Since 2015, everything has changed. Remote hacking is a real concern. We now have to assess functionality differently – and we must forecast 20 years of technology to stay ahead.”

Shannon, he noted, is at the core of JLR’s embedded cybersecurity work. With strong links to UL and other regional institutions, the company has developed a pipeline of skilled graduates trained in functional safety and embedded systems:

“It’s not easy to find talent with the right skills, so we develop them ourselves.”

Elaine Berkery, Director at Eastway Reliability, brought a sharp focus to the practical realities of meeting emerging regulatory demands, particularly under the Cyber Resilience Act.

“I foresee that most companies will soon be required to meet robust cybersecurity regulations. The CRA isn’t just a formality – it will play a crucial role in reducing the number of security issues we see across sectors.”

Elaine also highlighted the challenges of sourcing multidisciplinary talent, noting that companies like Eastway are always seeking individuals across software, mechanical, and technical engineering backgrounds.

Despite global talent shortages, Elaine shared that Eastway has maintained strong retention rates, supported by a proactive approach to recruitment:

“We’re proud of our retention, but it’s something you constantly need to work at. The idea of ‘stay interviews’ is something I really like – it’s a practical way to check the temperature internally.

Robby Dupuy of MeiraGTx highlighted the particular challenges faced in gene therapy and pharmaceutical research.

“Our systems are increasingly digital, and with that comes immense responsibility. We hold sensitive clinical trial data and rely on specialised equipment – if our systems go down, it’s a serious issue.”

For MeiraGTx, regulatory readiness and data availability are non-negotiable.

The company offers engineers full-cycle exposure – from drafting user requirements to vendor management, global factory testing, and on-site implementation – an attractive prospect for talent development and retention.

Gwen Leyden, Head of Operations at FRS Recruitment, addressed one of the sector’s most pressing issues: the cyber skills shortage.

“Companies must think strategically about talent attraction and their EVP (Employee Value Proposition). Salary matters; but so do flexibility, work-life balance, and meaningful work.”

She advised employers to benchmark salaries, speed up interview processes, and, importantly, keep applications mobile-friendly:

“Stay interviews are a great tool to understand what keeps people engaged, and what might make them leave.”

Paul Browne from Enterprise Ireland echoed the sentiment of the panel speakers, highlighting how Irish innovation can thrive through compliance and collaboration.

Final Thoughts

The message across all speakers was clear: Cybersecurity is an evolving discipline that touches every part of an organisation. Whether it's data integrity in gene therapy, functional safety in automotive systems, or industry-wide standards compliance, resilience must be built from the ground up.

By sharing insights, supporting talent, and staying proactive in the face of change, Irish companies can lead the way in embedding security, trust, and innovation into everything they do.

If you’re exploring new opportunities in the ever-evolving cybersecurity sector, or if your organisation is seeking top talent to support innovation, compliance, and growth, FRS Recruitment is here to help.

With deep connections across engineering, life sciences, and technology, and a commitment to understanding both employer and candidate needs, we’re uniquely positioned to match the right people with the right roles.