New Zealand’s Cyber Security Strategy 2019

July 2019

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New Zealand’s Cyber Security Strategy 2019 outlines the government’s priorities and actions to strengthen cybersecurity in the country.

The strategy focuses on five key areas:

  1. Cybersecurity aware and active citizens: Building a culture in which people can operate securely online and know what to do if something goes wrong.
  2. Strong and capable cybersecurity workforce and ecosystem: Developing a skilled workforce and supportive ecosystem to combat cyber threats.
  3. Internationally active: Collaborating with international partners to deter organised cybercrime at the source.
  4. Resilient and responsive New Zealand: Ensuring the country’s digital environment can withstand adversity and organisations play an active role in protecting themselves.
  5. Proactively tackle cybercrime: Investing more in skilled people and resources to combat cybercrime and cyber-enabled crime.

The strategy also includes measures to strengthen the legal framework, improve information-sharing between law enforcement and the financial sector, and increase support for people affected by cybercrime. The government aims to create a safe cyberspace for New Zealanders by updating the cybersecurity policy annually and investing in skilled people and resources

The strategy has four values:

  • Partnerships are crucial
  • People are secure and human rights are respected online
  • Economic growth is enhanced
  • National security is protected.

Key areas of focus will include

  • seeking Cabinet agreement to accede to the Budapest Convention
  • preventing cybercrime particularly for vulnerable groups
  • increasing support to people affected by cybercrime
  • encouraging reporting of cybercrime and improving sharing of information about cybercrimes
  • improving information-sharing between law enforcement and the financial sector to reduce victimisation
  • making the law fit-for-purpose to enable agencies to better manage and respond to cybercrime
  • investing more to contribute to international efforts to deter organised cybercrime at the source,
    before it affects our communities
  • raising our ability to respond to objectionable material and terrorist activity online
  • investing more in skilled people and resources to combat cybercrime and cyber-enabled crime.