CERT NZ: Responding to cyber security threats in New Zealand

CERT NZ is a recently established Government unit that works to support businesses, organisations and individuals who are affected (or may be affected) by cybersecurity incidents. They provide trusted and authoritative information and advice, while also collating a profile of the threat landscape in New Zealand

CERT NZ’s primary goal is to improve cybersecurity in New Zealand, and one of their roles is to raise awareness of cyber security impacts and best practice. Cybersecurity attacks are becoming more and more common over time.

Recent data from CERT NZ’s latest Quarterly Report shows that New Zealanders and their businesses lost almost $3 million dollars through cybersecurity incidents, and that 33% of the financial loss was experienced by New Zealanders aged 55 years and over.

So it’s important to know what you can do to protect your information online. While there’s no bulletproof way to prevent an attack, there are a lot of things you can do that will help to lessen the risk.

Check out CERT NZ’s guide: Getting started with cybersecurity. It’s got top tips for simple, practical things you can do to help keep both your business information as well as your personal information safe and secure — they go all the way up to 11.

If you think you’ve been affected, CERT NZ’s simple-to-use reporting tool will guide you through diagnosing your cybersecurity issue. For more information about CERT NZ visit www.cert.govt.nz