DONEGAL recorded the largest growth in new .ie domain registrations in Ireland last year, according to the latest .ie Domain Profile
Report.
A total of 1,071 new .ie domain registrations were recorded in the county last year, a growth of 34 per cent from 2022’s figures.
The report shows that across the country 48,689 new domains were registered up to December 31, 2023, a modest increase of 0.34 per cent on the previous year.
The new domains brought the total .ie database to 328,245, representing a small net reduction on 2022.
Covid led to a big increase in businesses seeking to establish an online presence and that surge is continuing to unwind.
According to the figures, of the 115,812 domains registered between March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2021, less than half remain active, 57,033 have been deleted, 1,130 have been suspended and 153 are pending deletion.
The data shows there was a slight increase in the number of cyberattacks on .ie sites last year with 552 recorded in 2023.
Phishing scams were by far the most prevalent, representing almost half of the total.
The figures show, however, that .ie websites have significantly lower levels of cyber threats compared with international domains like .com.
“We remain concerned that cyber-crime and online fraud continue to be a drag on digital adoption and risks undermining consumer confidence in e-commerce and digital business,” said David Curtin, chief executive of .ie.
“As part of a range of responses, our data analytics team is developing scorecards, dashboards and tools to provide insights for policymakers and practitioners into the profile and progression of website/email/domain security,” Mr Curtain said.
Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Neale Richmond said, “This report from .ie highlights just how important digitalisation and e-commerce is for Irish businesses.
“While many companies may have an online presence, be that a ‘shop window’ or click and collect, the option to shop online is hugely important for customers both in Ireland and abroad.
“This will open businesses up to new markets and more customers.
“There are a number of supports available for businesses of all sizes who want to improve their digital footprint, from the Local Enterprise Office to Enterprise Ireland, and I would encourage all businesses to avail of these as the opportunities that come with an enhanced online presence are endless.”
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