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NZTech Inform – Stepping up cybersecurity
Kia ora Readers
Security is not working! So what can we do?
Phishing has grown to be the leading cause of cybersecurity issues for Kiwi’s according to CERT NZ, accounting for 45 percent of all reported incidents. A report published by cloud security firm Avanan shows one in every 99 emails is now a phishing attack, using malicious links and attachments as the main vector.
Even advanced cyber shops like Air New Zealand still fell victim when a staff member was phished. Two weeks ago the data for 70,000 Air New Zealand customers got caught up in a phishing scam. This data then gets used to help improve the targeting for the next scam.
Recently, we also experienced a phishing attack using the urgent message from the CEO email trick. Commonly called whaling, the email seems at first glance to be coming from within the network. Unfortunately in our case, a team member responded before the address was blacklisted.
This has reminded me of the ongoing importance of security education. The only way we will be able to keep ahead of the criminals is to keep learning about their latest tricks. It is for this reason that NZTech supports a number of security events. On 24 August the Y-Tech Conference, How safe is your digital world? run by school students for student will focus on security.
NZTech, in collaboration with our event partner Conferenz, is also hosting our 5th annual NZ Cyber Security Summit in Wellington on 16 October. This event brings together leading specialists from New Zealand and around the world to learn the latest developments in cybersecurity.
In other news, I am excited to be heading to Wellington this morning to catch up with Minister Tywford to discuss the new industry transformation plan being developed for the digital sector. Immediately following this, we will attend the launch of the Interactive Aotearoa study on interactive media and its economic benefits for New Zealand.
Finally, please do take a moment to add your voice to the submissions on The Taxation (KiwiSaver, Student Loans, and Remedial Matters) Bill, currently at select committee. The bill includes changes to the R&D Tax Incentive and is open for submissions until 4 September. Your input will help the Government continue to refine the tax credit system. You can submit easily here.
Have a great week.
Ngā mihi
Graeme Muller
CEO
NZTech
CONNECT
Meet fellow Tech Marketers on Wednesday in Aucklandand Wellington to discuss sustainability and Christmas!
Join InsurTech Connect to discuss better customer outcomes on 22 August in Auckland.
Join WealthTechNZ on 29 August in Auckland to discuss the future of online anti-money laundering.
PROMOTE
Join the Rt Hon Helen Clark on 26 August in Auckland to learn more about the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals and their relevance to New Zealand.
Want to know more about the Internet of Things? Join the New Zealand IoT Alliance at the 2019 IoT Half-Day Conference on 3 October in Auckland.
Unlock the value of digital identity at the 2019 NZ Digital Identity Summit on 16 October in Wellington, where discussion moves beyond policy to real world initiatives.
ADVANCE
Provide feedback on the Government’s Agritech Strategy at workshops on 26 August in Hamilton, 29 August in Lincoln and 2 September in Tauranga.
New Zealand needs to move faster to stake a claim in the legal cannabis export marketsays BioTechNZ. In Fintech news, local banks begin to support smart tech companies.
Expo 2020 Dubai currently has a tender open for digital games licensees. Save the date for CERT’s Cyber Smart Week, 14-18 October and subscribe for updates.
Learn more about how NZTech is representing you!
