National domain registry says new scheme will help businesses demonstrate online credibility amid growth in fraud and ransomware activity.
Ireland’s national domain registry .IE has introduced a new Digital Trust Mark as fresh research indicates that nearly one in five of the country’s largest organisations has suffered a significant cyberattack over the past two years.
The initiative, unveiled today by .IE, aims to give consumers a clearer signal of whether a business is operating to recognised digital standards.
“Once you receive your Digital Trust Score, you will either be entitled to carry the mark or you will have clear next steps to reach the required standard”
Websites and email systems that meet the required threshold will be permitted to carry a distinctive wolfhound symbol, intended to function as a visible indicator of trust.
Proprietary scoring system
Louise McKeown Doogan, Chief Growth Officer at .IE, said organisations can complete an assessment on the DigitalTrust.ie platform “in just a few clicks”. She added that the evaluation investigates a company’s “website, email and domain setup” using a proprietary scoring system aligned with industry best practice.
“These checks confirm that digital fundamentals are correctly configured, responsibly managed and set up to support trust and reliability online,” she said. “Once you receive your Digital Trust Score, you will either be entitled to carry the mark or you will have clear next steps to reach the required standard.”
The findings published alongside the launch show that 17% of key Irish organisations have recorded a major cyber incident since early 2024. The survey, conducted by Amárach in January and based on responses from 354 firms considered essential to Ireland’s economic and social infrastructure, highlights the ongoing vulnerability of domestic organisations.
McKeown Doogan said the results were worrying, particularly at a time when phishing attempts and the misuse of technical weaknesses remain the most common methods attackers use to gain access. The research indicates phishing accounts for 60% of incidents and exploitation of system flaws for a further 21.3%.
“An online presence that appears to function may not always demonstrate the authenticity and trustworthiness customers expect,” she said. “Until now there has been no visible way for consumers to know that a website meets a recognised standard and no way for businesses or organisations to signal that they do.”
The launch comes a week after Garda figures showed fraud-related offences more than doubled over the past year, rising 137%, with bank scams, phishing and smishing identified as the principal drivers.
McKeown Doogan said the Digital Trust Mark could become an important part of online engagement in Ireland. “We hope it will become a digital equivalent of the NCT and an essential part of interacting online in Ireland within the next year,” she said.
The scheme is open not only to .ie domains but also to .com and other domain endings used by Irish organisations. Applicants receive a grade by the next working day. Those achieving an A rating may display the mark on their website or email signature for twelve months. Others are provided with a detailed list of improvements needed to reach the required standard.
Top image: Louise McKeown Doogan, Chief Growth Officer at .IE, with Irish wolfhound Tara, representing the symbol of Ireland’s first Digital Trust Mark which has been launched by the national domain registry. Photo: Robbie Reynolds
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