National Cyber Security Centre

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) detects, disrupts, and deters high-impact cyber threats. It delivers preventative advice and support to nationally significant organisations.

The NCSC helps protect New Zealand’s important systems, networks, and information from attacks and unauthorised access. The NCSC is the national authority on communications security, and it delivers secure information technology to government agencies, as well as providing technical inspection services and emanations security.

The NCSC supports regulatory regimes by providing risk assessments and advice to identify and manage risks to New Zealand’s security.

The customers that the NCSC supports include:

• government agencies
• institutions of national significance
• key economic generators
• niche exporters
• research institutions.

As New Zealand becomes more connected globally, we face a greater number of technological vulnerabilities. New Zealand needs cyber security to:

• protect and maintain the services that the country relies on
• protect its intellectual property
• maintain its reputation as a stable and secure place to do business
• ensure that governmental and democratic processes remain free from interference.

The NCSC responds to cyber incidents that potentially affect New Zealand’s security or economic wellbeing. It provides advanced cyber security services and advice to government agencies and nationally significant organisations to help defend them against cyber threats.

The NCSC helps government organisations manage and protect New Zealand’s information and systems.

The NCSC’s information assurance services include providing technical expertise, specialised technology, and regulatory oversight to protect New Zealand’s most important information and infrastructure. The NCSC helps major public and private sector organisations keep their information systems and communications secure.

The NCSC’s information assurance functions include:

• publishing the New Zealand Information Security Manual (NZISM) which sets out the baseline security requirements for New Zealand government organisations
• providing technical and emanations security to help protect information and ensure systems are secure from compromise
• providing the technology, processes, and key material used to protect the country’s most sensitive information.

The NCSC support regulatory regimes by providing risk assessments and advice to identify and manage risks to New Zealand’s national security. The NCSC’s regulatory functions include:

• administering the network security provisions of the Telecommunications Interception Capability and Security Act 2013 (or TICSA). We engage with network operators to identify security risks in network changes they propose under TICSA.
• conducting risk assessments relating to New Zealand’s growing space industry, under the Outer Space and High-altitude Activities Act 2017
• scrutinising certain foreign investment proposals from a national security perspective, under the Overseas Investment (urgent measures) Amendment Act 2021.

The GCSB also works closely with partner agencies across the New Zealand Government and internationally to call out malicious cyber activity that is counter to internationally accepted norms of behaviour in cyber space.