Representatives from the GCSB’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) have spoken with current and former New Zealand members of Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) regarding reports of malicious cyber activity targeting members of IPAC in 2021.

Lisa Fong, Deputy Director-General GCSB, responsible for the NCSC, says New Zealand IPAC members were briefed on the actions the NCSC took when it received reports about the activity.

The NCSC also shared with them details of the internal review it has commenced to look at how it responds to reports of malicious cyber activity indicating foreign state sponsored actors are targeting identified New Zealand individuals, she said.

“We recognise the concerns expressed by these individuals, and the wider public interest in these matters.

“NCSC officials have reached out to the affected individuals to acknowledge their concerns, share the actions the NCSC took to respond to reports of possible targeting and outline the range of cyber threats and activity the NCSC monitors. We offered practical cyber security advice to these individuals,” says Ms Fong.

"We have committed to sharing the findings of the review with them and to make those findings public.

“In undertaking this review, we hope to identify areas for improvement, including where current procedures and practices could be updated.

“We aim to complete this review by 30 June 2024 and an unclassified version of its findings will be made public,” Ms Fong says.

The Minister Responsible for GCSB and the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security have been notified of this review, and have been provided a finalised Terms of Reference.

Ms Fong says anyone who wants to learn more about the cyber threats New Zealand faces can read more in the latest NCSC Cyber Threat Report. This report outlines a consistent trend where state-sponsored cyber activity targeting New Zealand accounts for around a third of incidents the NCSC has historically identified and responded to.

New Zealanders who want to learn more about how to be safe online can visit the Own Your Online website for a range of advice and guidance including five quick steps to online security.

IPAC Terms of Reference

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