Industry Digital Briefing - Q3 2026

Artificial intelligence is changing the way organisations build, operate and interact with digital platforms.

AI is writing code, powering customer interactions, consuming website content, and increasingly making decisions on behalf of users. At the same time, it is changing the cybersecurity landscape. Threats are evolving more quickly, attack surfaces are expanding, and trust is becoming a strategic concern rather than simply a technical one.

In this environment, security can no longer be viewed as a layer applied at the end of a project. As AI becomes embedded throughout the digital ecosystem, organisations need to think differently about how trust is engineered into the platforms they build and operate.

In this edition, we explore why cybersecurity begins long before the firewall, how principles such as Security by Design and Zero Trust are becoming increasingly relevant, and why operational resilience is emerging as a defining characteristic of modern digital platforms.

Please sign up for our next webinar, Security by Design in Practice, on Thursday, 20 August at 11 am.  

Security by Design - Why security begins long before the firewall

Ask where website security begins, and most people instinctively point towards the end of a project.

Firewalls.
Penetration testing.
Multi-factor authentication.
Monitoring.

They’re all important - They’re just not the beginning.

By the time an organisation is thinking about perimeter defences, many of the decisions that will ultimately determine whether a platform is secure have already been made. The architecture has been agreed. Identity models established. Suppliers selected. Deployment processes defined.

Increasingly, organisations are recognising that security is less about protecting completed systems and more about designing trustworthy digital platforms from the outset.

That shift in thinking is changing the way modern digital services are built and operated. Security is no longer viewed as a specialist activity or a final checkpoint before launch. It has become a continuous discipline spanning planning, delivery, operations, and governance.

Read the article - Security by Design: Rethinking Where Cybersecurity Begins

Next Webinar - Security by design in practice

20 August - 11 am GMT

Join our next webinar as we explore what modern cybersecurity looks like across the entire digital lifecycle. Please share with your colleagues; everyone is welcome.

We’ll discuss:

• Security by Design and the software development lifecycle
• Zero Trust beyond the buzzwords
• Identity and access management
• DevSecOps and secure delivery
• Monitoring, incident response and operational resilience
• Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity
• Governance and continuous improvement
  

Whether you’re responsible for digital strategy, technology or operations, the session will provide practical guidance on building secure, resilient digital services.

Cludo’s coming to Dublin - 8th September - 9 am - Everyone is welcome

Meet the Cludo Team - Turning Every Website Search into the Right Answer

Join Arekibo and the Cludo team for an exclusive breakfast briefing exploring how AI-powered search is transforming digital experiences.

This is an opportunity to meet the people behind Cludo, see the platform in action, ask questions, and discuss how search-driven personalisation, AI summaries and conversational experiences can help your organisation deliver more relevant, intuitive digital journeys, without adding unnecessary complexity.

We're also delighted to welcome Micaela Cassisa, Digital Marketing Manager at Mater Private Network, who will share how Mater uses Cludo to power website search and connect people with the information they need, quickly and effectively.

Over breakfast, you'll have the chance to network with peers, speak directly with the Cludo and Arekibo teams, and discover practical approaches to improving search, content discovery and AI-enabled customer experiences.

Join Arekibo and Cludo in Dublin on 8 September 2026 - Register now and share with colleagues.

CCPC launched

The new CCPC website has launched. A great project and a great team to partner with.

The website has just been shortlisted in the Universal Design category at the Irish eGovernment Awards. Congratulations to the CCPC team. Winners to be announced on 24 September.

Universal design and accessibility are embedded throughout our experience design practice, from UX research and prototyping through to UI design, web design, and design systems. The new site is built on the Sitefinity DX platform.

Cash Access Map📍

We supported the Central Bank of Ireland in launching a public Cash Access Map, helping you to find ATM’s and cash service points where you live. Find ATMs and cash service points across Ireland

Recent wins 🙌

We've kicked off new engagements with the University of Cumbria, the Royal College of Music London, the Central Statistics Office, FBD Insurance, and BT International. Onwards and upwards 🚀

More award nominations

Great to see Electric Ireland and ESB Networks' websites also nominated in the Universal Design category at the eGovernment Awards. Congratulations to their teams and all the nominees.

Worth a read

AI / The Reverse Information Paradox

Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO and Chairman, argues that every time an enterprise uses AI, it pays twice — once in dollars, once in the proprietary knowledge it must reveal to make the model useful. He makes the case that firms need a real trust boundary around their data, traces, and learning loops, or they risk handing competitors an advantage no contract can buy back.

SEO / Google’s How To optimise your website for generative AI features on Google Search

Google Search Central lays out its official guidance for succeeding in AI Overviews and AI Mode, making the case that this is just SEO applied to a new surface, not a new discipline. It also debunks popular "AEO/GEO" tactics — like llms.txt files and content chunking, that Google says its systems simply don't use.

AI / Unlocking agentic value: a new investment discipline for the agentic era

The cost of running AI is the new elephant in the room. EY argues that agentic AI is quietly reshaping enterprise cost structures, turning a predictable software or labour line item into variable, compute-driven spend, with token fees just the tip of the iceberg.

Marketing / Levi’s wins the World Cup marketing

FIFA ordered Levi's to cover its logo at Levi's Stadium ahead of the 2026 World Cup, so Levi's tarped it over, kept the "batwing" outline visible, and turned the brand suppression into a viral moment. The cheeky cover-up is now getting more attention than the sponsor logos FIFA actually wanted seen.