New Zealand Needs Dedicated Minister For Cyber Security

Australasia’s largest cyber security provider says New Zealand needs to act now and appoint a dedicated Minister for Cyber Security as cyber threats and attacks increase around the globe.

One of the latest cyber-attacks in New Zealand has seen the personal details of patients at the Pinnacle Midlands Health Network being loaded to the dark web by suspected Eastern European criminals and follows the significant attack on the Waikato District Health Board that saw sensitive patient data stolen.

CyberCX says global tensions are increasingly playing out in cyberspace. Attacks are only ramping up around the globe, exposing people, businesses, and organisations to increasing threats. Executive Director of Security Testing and Assurance, Adam Boileau, says governments need to protect cyber and civil infrastructure through dedicated resources - collaborating and overseeing the private sector as well to ensure the protection of our data.

“Australia appointed its first ever Minister of Cyber Security a few months ago, and already we’ve seen the value in a dedicated role. Following a massive data breach at Optus, one of Australia’s largest telecommunications providers, Minister Clare O’Neil moved swiftly and publicly to not only hold the company to account, but to beef up legislation around fraud protection in the sector, improving corporate standards across a range of areas.

“It’s an example we should learn from - while New Zealand is isolated geographically, that makes no difference in cyberspace, and trusting security and protection of data to the private sector is no longer enough,” he says.

New Zealand’s privacy laws were enacted when cyberspace and security were different issues. Adam Boileau says privacy law around the world needs to keep pace with changes in cyberspace as security, privacy and information are foundational to society.

“It’s how we learn, how businesses operate and how governments run. We need a dedicated Minister for Cyber Security to protect and regulate a sector that’s at the core of everything we do.

“While Budget 2022 delivered greater investment into cyber security, we still need more. The problem in assessing the return on investment in cyber is that it isn’t immediately obvious until something goes up in flames, and people and their data are left exposed,” he says.

© Scoop Media