Direct financial losses from cyber incidents have amounted to $5.8m
Minister for the Public Service Andrew Little has announced the government's plan to establish a lead operational agency to strengthen New Zealand's cyber security readiness and response capabilities.
Little emphasised that the cyber security threats New Zealand faces are growing in scale and sophistication. "We're committed to staying ahead of the hackers to protect communities, businesses and our public services."
The decision to bring New Zealand's Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT NZ) into the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) was based on the recommendation of the Cyber Security Advisory Committee. The integration of CERT NZ into NCSC will create a single agency that provides authoritative advice and responds to cyber incidents across all threat levels, aligning with international best practices in cyber security.
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Little stressed the importance of staying ahead of hackers to safeguard communities, businesses, and public services. The initiative aims to bolster New Zealand's cyber security capabilities, making it better prepared to navigate the digital economy and deliver secure government services to citizens.
The government has already demonstrated its commitment to cyber security by investing $94m since 2018 in improving the country's cyber security capabilities. This investment has led to the developing of world-leading protection products, including Malware Free Networks, which shield internet service providers and private networks from cyber threats. The government has also rolled out baseline security templates that make it easier for organisations to use innovative cloud services while better protecting their information.
Minister for the digital economy Ginny Andersen highlighted that while progress has been made, challenges persist. In the first quarter of this year, direct financial losses from cyber incidents reported to CERT NZ amounted to $5.8m, underscoring the ongoing threat posed by cyber criminals.
By creating a dedicated lead operational agency, New Zealand aims to combat cyber threats effectively and protect individuals and the economy from harm. Andersen pointed out that the NCSC successfully prevented $33m of economic harm in the past year, but it is believed that the true scale of the impact is underreported.
"Creating a dedicated new lead operational agency ensures New Zealand is best positioned to fight back against the hackers we know cause real harm to individuals and our economy," Andersen said.
The operational integration of CERT NZ into the NCSC will commence on 31 August, with a phased approach expected to span several years. During this transition period, all existing services will continue to be maintained.