NCSC implements all improvements from cyber activity review

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) of the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) has implemented all improvements identified in a review of cyber activity targeting members of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC).

Lisa Fong, Deputy Director-General Cyber Security at GCSB, confirmed the swift actions taken by the NCSC to implement the recommended measures following the review conducted in July. "I'm pleased to confirm that we have put in place measures to address all recommendations outlined in the initial review," said Ms Fong.

The improvements included updating internal processes of the NCSC with input from relevant stakeholders. New guidance and standards have been established for NCSC staff to ensure that similar concerns are avoided in the future.

Additionally, the NCSC has published advice and guidance for New Zealanders considered "high profile individuals" on its website, in line with one of the review's recommendations. "These series of actions help to ensure the NCSC's work continues to be both focused on the most significant threats, but also those whom those threats affect," Ms Fong stated.

Although these actions mark the completion of the identified improvements, Ms Fong emphasised the NCSC's commitment to ongoing enhancement as New Zealand's leading cyber security agency. "This implementation of specific recommendations is not the end of the NCSC's ongoing work to ensure its response to cyber incidents reduces harm for New Zealanders," she said.

Ms Fong also expressed the NCSC's dedication to identifying and acting upon further opportunities for procedural enhancements. "We are committed to identifying opportunities for improvement in our practices and procedures and implementing these where we have the ability to do so," she added.

The review of the NCSC's practices was initiated in May by Lisa Fong to address and improve procedures following reports of malicious cyber activity targeting IPAC members. Completed in July, the review examined how the NCSC handles reports of such cyber activities, especially those involving foreign state-sponsored actors targeting identified individuals in New Zealand.