Proofpoint’s Cork expansion accelerates Ireland’s AI-driven cybersecurity hub

Proofpoint plans to create up to 250 jobs in Cork, establishing an AI innovation centre that positions Ireland as a leading centre for cybersecurity and AI development.

Cybersecurity firm Proofpoint has announced a significant expansion in its Cork operations, with plans to create 100 new jobs as part of its growth strategy in Ireland. The company is establishing an AI innovation centre at its One Albert Quay office, focusing on specialist roles such as data scientists and experts in artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models (LLMs). This development is supported by the Irish Government through IDA Ireland, reflecting Ireland’s success in attracting global technology companies to establish international hubs within the country.

Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Minister Peter Burke highlighted the expansion as a testament to Ireland’s growing stature as a global technology and innovation centre. The creation of up to 100 new roles, including those in AI and large language models, reinforces the country’s competitive position in the tech landscape. Proofpoint is initially opening 45 specialist roles in Cork and plans to grow its security operations and data security teams, alongside expanding its office space in the city centre.

Proofpoint’s chief financial officer, Remi Thomas, emphasised the importance of this investment for the company’s international growth and enhancing its ability to protect European organisations from increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. He underlined the critical role AI plays in defending against these dangers, noting the company’s aim to leverage Cork’s technical talent to advance its AI-driven cybersecurity solutions. These solutions are designed to detect and prevent emerging threats on an unprecedented scale while ensuring data security.

The company, headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, currently employs around 4,500 people globally. Its Cork hub already supports vital functions, including engineering, research and development (R&D), customer support, finance, and marketing. Kevin Leusing, Proofpoint’s chief technologist for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, stated that AI is a defining capability for the company, driven by extensive human-centric threat intelligence data that continuously enhances their AI models. The new AI Centre in Cork is intended to further integrate cutting-edge AI advancements to stay ahead of sophisticated cyber attackers.

This expansion situates Proofpoint among a cluster of leading cybersecurity firms in Cork, a city rapidly cementing its role as a key cybersecurity hub. Other major players with significant presence in the region include Trellix, the company formed from the merger of FireEye and McAfee Enterprise, as well as Forcepoint, Sophos, and Malwarebytes. The national cybersecurity cluster Cyber Ireland, which represents industry, academia, and government, is based at Munster Technical University, bolstering the ecosystem for innovation and collaboration in cybersecurity.

IDA Ireland’s chief executive Michael Lohan remarked that Cork’s continued emergence as a cybersecurity centre, especially in fields like AI and cyber defence, is a crucial factor attracting high-calibre investments like Proofpoint. The company’s decision to expand here underscores Ireland’s rich talent pool and favourable business environment, which support the growth of advanced technology sectors.

Proofpoint specialises in human-centric cybersecurity, addressing critical risks such as human-targeted threats, data loss, and human error with an integrated, adaptive security platform. The company’s approach focuses on protecting organisations’ greatest assets , their people , through sophisticated threat detection and resilient AI-driven security solutions.

While Proofpoint’s announcement states an initial focus on 100 new jobs, some sources indicate the broader plan includes creating more than 250 roles over the next two years, reflecting ongoing active recruitment and continual investment in the Cork region. This signals the company’s long-term commitment to embedding itself further in Ireland’s cybersecurity ecosystem and scaling its international hub capabilities.

Overall, Proofpoint’s expansion represents both a strategic enhancement of its global cybersecurity operations and a vote of confidence in Ireland’s ability to nurture and sustain high-tech innovation, particularly in AI and cybersecurity sectors.

📌 Reference Map:

• ^[1] (Irish Examiner) – Paragraphs 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
• ^[2] (IDA Ireland) – Paragraphs 1, 2
• ^[3] (Proofpoint Press Release) – Paragraphs 2, 3, 10, 11
• ^[4] (Proofpoint Website) – Paragraph 9
• ^[6] (TheCork.ie) – Paragraph 10
• ^[7] (Cyber Ireland) – Paragraph 9

Source: Fuse Wire Services