Cyber-Savvy New Zealand

Yes, it’s a fact - the New Zealand government is actively working to create a cyber-aware culture in 2024. As part of the country's broader cybersecurity strategy, aimed at improving awareness and resilience to cyber threats across all sectors of society, government agencies are well in-the-know that for these ambitions to take hold effectively across the board, a cyber aware culture must be instilled and practised consistently.

The most recent public cybersecurity strategy for New Zealand is the Cyber Security Strategy 2019-2023 which importantly outlines that in order to foster a safer digital environment for citizens and businesses, two key areas of focus must be concentrated on - enhancing international cooperation, and promoting a cyber-smart culture. So let’s look at how these two areas of focus are working together to kick start the creation of a national culture that is cyber aware.

Collaboration from a National Scale to the International Stage:

• The government works with private sector organizations to promote cybersecurity awareness, particularly in critical sectors like finance, energy, and telecommunications, to share threat intelligence and promote best practices. Collaborations between entities like Cert NZ (the government’s cyber security agency) for Cyber Smart Week and industry groups help educate the public on the importance of maintaining strong cybersecurity practices.
• Educational institutions across the country are collaborating with the government to build a workforce that is well-equipped to handle cyber challenges.
• New Zealand is a member of the Five Eyes alliance, which includes the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia which promotes intelligence sharing and collaboration on cybersecurity issues, helping New Zealand stay informed about global cyber threats and best practices for mitigating them.
• New Zealand collaborates with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to share knowledge and strategies with neighbouring countries to improve cybersecurity resilience across the Asia-Pacific region. This includes joint initiatives on public education and cybersecurity capacity building.
• An active member of the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise (GFCE), New Zealand contributes to global efforts to enhance cybersecurity awareness, particularly in developing countries.
• Currently engaged with the United Nations to agree on a new international cybercrime treaty and otherwise work to promote a cyber-aware culture by contributing to the development of international standards and practices that protect users worldwide

Cyber Resilience Programs:

New Zealand's government is investing in training programs that teach businesses and organizations how to identify and manage cyber risks. This includes specialized training for critical sectors like healthcare, finance, and infrastructure.

• Cybersecurity Skills Taskforce aims to address the cybersecurity skills gap in New Zealand by promoting cybersecurity education and training.
• Schools’ Cyber Security Challenge – a program aimed at secondary school students and is part of an effort to integrate cybersecurity education into the curriculum. The challenge encourages students to develop cybersecurity skills through competitions and practical exercises.
• CERT NZ regularly releases guidelines to raise awareness of cybersecurity risks such as phishing, ransomware, and personal data protection. These initiatives aim to build a proactive approach to cybersecurity for citizens and businesses alike.

So Where Does the Country Stand Now?

Clearly New Zealand has honed in on the importance of creating a cyber aware culture, and the above efforts through collaboration and resilience programs to do so paint the picture for us. But what about some facts on where the country stands in adopting a committed cyber culture?

CERT NZ has been dedicated to tracking attitudes and behaviours of NZ citizens towards cyber security in its Cyber Security Behaviour Tracker which reported in 2023 that there is a growing awareness and cautious attitude among New Zealand citizens towards cybersecurity. But although there has been a clear rise in vigilance and the use of protective online behaviours, many people still struggle to fully grasp and apply effective cybersecurity measures. So even though awareness is growing, there remains a significant need for continuous education and support to help individuals defend themselves against increasingly complex cyber threats – a pledge that New Zealand is prepared to follow through on which we will have the opportunity to observe through the next Cyber Security Strategy which is on the horizon.

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