The Private Security Authority (PSA) has revoked 355 security licences after a review of more than 21,000 licences issued since March 2023 found holders had bought forged training certificates, the Irish Times reported on 4 November, with the regulator due before the Public Accounts Committee on Thursday 5 November. The news lands in the middle of the Garda winter burglary campaign, Operation Thor, under which Gardaí warn that residential break-ins could rise by up to 20% in the darker months.

Forged certificates: 80% were security-guard licences

John Phelan, chief executive of the PSA, told the Irish Times that the 355 people whose licences were revoked "presumably knew that they had not done the relevant training". A further 96 applications were refused or withdrawn for lack of verifiable training evidence. About 80% of the revoked licences were for security-guard roles, with the rest door supervisor or combined licences.

The forged documents are understood to have cost roughly the same as the real course, which the paper puts at €200 to €450. Garda investigations are ongoing, and the PSA says it has not identified any incident involving the individuals concerned. John Brady TD, chair of the Public Accounts Committee, called the scale of the fraud "deeply concerning".

Licensing is not only for guards. The Irish Security Industry Association notes that companies installing or maintaining intruder alarms, CCTV and access control systems also need a PSA licence, with alarm installers audited to I.S. EN 50131-1 and the SR 40 quality standard by a PSA-approved certification body.

Operation Thor: 437 burglaries a month, most between 4pm and 8am

The winter phase of Operation Thor began on 1 October 2026 and runs through the dark months. Assistant Commissioner Angela Willis said "we know that the darker winter months traditionally bring an increased risk of burglary", and Gardaí cite international evidence that burglaries can rise by up to 20% in winter, according to the Irish Times.

The Garda figures behind the campaign are specific. Residential burglaries are most likely between 4pm and 8am. Across the last three winter phases, 23.9% of burglaries involved entry through an unsecured door. Jewellery (rings, watches and necklaces) is the most common target by volume and value, followed by tools and hardware, then cash. Burglaries averaged 437 a month so far in 2026 against 970 a month in 2019, a 53.3% fall.

Cold callers and bogus traders

Gardaí in Sligo issued a warning on 28 October about callers offering power washing, painting and goods for sale, who tend to target people living alone. Their advice: do not open the door until you are satisfied who is calling, use a chain lock, and ring 999 or 112 straight away with a description, the vehicle registration and its direction of travel.

SuperValu fridges: a cyber-attack on building systems

On 2 November, 13 SuperValu stores, including Bray, Lucan, Blanchardstown, Ranelagh and one in Waterford, pulled chilled and frozen stock after a suspected cyber-attack knocked out refrigeration controls, RTÉ reported. Musgrave said the incident was limited to one refrigeration model, that the National Cyber Security Centre was monitoring it and that all stores were back to normal by that evening, with "replenishment of chilled and frozen ranges in the affected stores well under way".

The same day saw similar fridge failures at supermarkets in Belgium, Luxembourg and Sweden. For Irish businesses, connected building systems, from refrigeration to heating controls, access control and CCTV, are now part of the security perimeter.

Private patrols for Dublin city centre

Dublin City Council confirmed on 4 November that it is drafting a tender for private "safety operatives" to complement Gardaí in the O'Connell Street area, the Irish Times reports. The council says they would have no power to arrest, demand identification, search people, issue fines or enforce bylaws; a full report goes to a council meeting next month. Gary Gannon TD called it a "harebrained proposal".

Storms and back-up power

Storm Austen left about 3,000 homes, farms and businesses without power on the morning of 23 October, and Storm Boelo brought orange wind warnings for Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo on 24 and 25 October, according to the Irish Examiner. Alarm systems, electric gates and CCTV recorders all depend on mains power or a battery back-up, so a power cut is also a security gap.

What it means for you

• Before hiring a security guard, door supervisor, alarm or CCTV installer, ask for the PSA licence number and check it with the PSA before any money changes hands.
• Lock doors even when you are at home in the evening: one in four winter burglaries in the Garda data came through an unsecured door.
• Put internal lights on timers for the 4pm to 8am window, and keep tools locked away rather than in a van on the drive.
• Ask your installer whether your alarm, gates and cameras have battery back-up and how long it lasts.
• Businesses: ask whoever maintains your refrigeration, heating or access-control systems whether they are reachable from the internet and who changes the passwords.
• Use the chain lock and never pay a cold caller for work on the day.
• You can find PSA-licensed alarm and CCTV installers, locksmiths and security firms on Locufy.

For providers: alarm and CCTV installers should quote full packages for November (monitored alarm, smart doorbell, exterior lighting, battery back-up) with the PSA licence number on every quote. Security firms supplying Christmas retail cover should expect clients to ask for proof that each guard's training is verified. Facilities contractors should offer a connected-systems check on chillers, boilers and building controls before Christmas trading.

Key dates

• 1 October 2026 onwards: Operation Thor winter phase running
• 5 November 2026: PSA before the Public Accounts Committee
• 10 to 13 November 2026: Dublin summit security operation around the Convention Centre and Merrion Square
• December 2026: Dublin City Council report on private safety operatives due before councillors

Sources

• Irish Times — Forgers sold bogus security guard training course documents, regulator says
• Irish Times — Gardaí warn burglaries could rise by 20% as evenings get darker
• ISIA — Licensing of electronic security systems
• Ocean FM — Gardaí in Sligo sound warning over bogus callers and rogue traders
• RTÉ — 13 SuperValu stores hit by suspected cyber attack
• Irish Times — Private security patrolling Dublin would not have additional capacity to arrest people
• Irish Examiner — Storm Austen power cuts and Storm Boelo warnings
• RTÉ — Largest policing operation in State's history for Dublin summits
• The Journal — Dublin road closures for November summits

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