Cybersecurity

Cyber Security in New Zealand

New Zealand businesses face the same cyber risks as the rest of the world. Cloud tools, remote work, and digital systems make work easier, but they also create more opportunities for attackers. The truth is simple: every business is a target.

The Local Reality

CERT NZ reports thousands of incidents every quarter, with small and medium businesses (SMBs) hit hardest. Phishing, ransomware, invoice scams, and identity theft cost New Zealand hundreds of millions every year. Whether you are an engineering firm, a law office, or a retailer, if you hold data or rely on IT, you are on the radar.

Why SMBs Are Vulnerable

SMBs often lack the protections, training, and processes of large corporates. A single weak password or phishing click can cause downtime, financial loss, or reputational damage. Under the Privacy Act 2020, breaches can also mean legal and reporting obligations.

Common Threats

  • Ransomware
    locking your files for ransom
  • Phishing
    tricking staff into sharing credentials or money
  • Business Email Compromise
    impersonating trusted contacts
  • Insider Threats
    mistakes or malicious actions from staff
  • Supply Chain Attacks
    breaching your providers to reach you

Building Cyber Resilience

Defend

Put strong barriers in place with firewalls, MFA, secure cloud setups, and staff training. Defence makes your business a harder target for attackers.

Detect

Early detection is key. With 24/7 monitoring, threat intelligence, and alerts, suspicious activity can be caught quickly, reducing damage and downtime.

Mitigate

A clear plan limits damage. With incident response, continuity planning, and defined roles, your business can keep operating and reduce risk during an attack.

Recover

Strong recovery systems help your business bounce back fast. Tested backups and disaster recovery plans restore data and systems with minimal disruption.

Insurance and Compliance

Cyber insurance is valuable, but like home insurance, it only works if you lock the doors. Insurers expect firewalls, MFA, regular updates, and training to be in place and kept up to date. Without them, claims can be reduced or declined. Security and insurance go hand in hand

Essential Eight

The Essential Eight is a practical framework of security measures designed to block or limit the most common types of cyber-attacks, helping businesses strengthen their defences and reduce risk.

SMB1001

SMB1001 is a step-by-step cyber security certification designed specifically for small and medium businesses. It provides practical guidelines to strengthen systems, protect data, and give customers and partners confidence in your security.

ISO/IEC 27001

ISO/IEC 27001 is the international standard for information security management. It helps businesses systematically manage risks, protect sensitive data, and demonstrate compliance to clients, partners, and regulators.

NIST CSF

A flexible US framework guiding organisations to Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover from cyber threats.