Almost 20% of Kiwi SMEs are suffering cyberattacks to the tune of $19,000, according to CERTNZ, the government’s online resource to fight and report digital threats.
CERTNZ forms part of the government’s 2015 Cyber Security Strategy, and in the 2016 Budget $22.2 million was used to set up the CERT (Computer Emergency Response Team). It was created in response to a surge in cyberattacks worldwide - the World Economic Forum cited cyberattacks in its top 10 global risk factors over the next decade, which also includes famine, natural disasters and social instability.
Delta Insurance published a white paper on cyber threats yesterday outlining data from CERT claiming 29% of reported cyber incidents experienced some form of loss whether that be financial, reputational or data-related.
“Given that CERT has only recently been introduced in New Zealand, this number is likely to be understated and is expected to spike in coming years with companies currently only focused on resolving the issues and notifying various parties rather than reporting the incident itself,” Delta said.
“The assumption that New Zealand’s geographical location limits the probability of a cyberattack is a major factor in the lack of defence. The internet knows no boundaries, so the distance between safety and a cyber incident is just a click away.”
Delta added that New Zealand has been ranked the fourth largest target in the Asia-Pacific region, and 21st globally, for ransomware attacks, according to the New Zealand Cyber Security Summit Report (2016).
