Budget 2016: $22.2m to boost cyber security   5 May 2016

Hon Amy Adams

Minister for Communications

5 May 2016

Budget 2016: $22.2m to boost cyber security

An investment of $22.2 million from Budget 2016 will enable a significant advancement in the country’s cyber security infrastructure, Communications Minister Amy Adams announced today.

The Government will invest $20 million of operating funding over the next four years on a new national Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) to combat cyber-attacks and cybercrime, with an additional $2.2 million of capital for set up.

A CERT is an organisation that receives cyber incident reports, tracks cyber security incidents or attacks, and provides advice and alerts to its customers on how to respond and prevent further attacks. CERTs also work closely with their international counterparts to prevent and respond to cybersecurity incidents, and address cybercrime.

“Our national CERT will be a key piece of New Zealand’s cyber security architecture. It will be the central place for businesses and organisations to go to for help and information when they’re experiencing cyber-attacks,” says Ms Adams.

“It will help to protect critical infrastructure and the digital economy, and ensure New Zealanders can be secure, resilient and prosperous online.

“Cybercrime cost our economy $257 million last year and affected more than 856,000 New Zealanders. CERT is a core part of our Cyber Security Strategy and Action Plan, which I launched in December, and speaks to how seriously the National-led Government takes cyber security.”

“Establishing a national CERT means New Zealand joins an international network of CERTs, improving our access to information on potential or real-time cyber-attacks. It will help us play our part in a global effort to improve internet security.”

CERT will initially be set up as a separate unit in the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and is expected to be in operation in the first quarter of 2017.

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