NZTech Inform – Balancing risks and opportunities

Next month, CERT is running a Get Cyber Smart mini campaign, empowering New Zealanders, aged 55-64 to improve their online security.  CERT’s latest data shows this age group lost over $4 million in 2020 to scams and frauds.  Online banking, email and social media accounts can be vulnerable, especially if they don’t have strong passwords. 

Password Perfect, CERT’s new mini campaign, focuses on helping those aged 55-64 to protect their family and their finances online with long, strong and unique passwords.  The key message is making passwords easy to remember, but difficult for attackers to guess.  CERT recommends creating passphrases – a mix of random words.  For example, catplumbertablechocolate. 
 
Join us in supporting CERT’s campaign to help Kiwis improve their password practice.  Register to receive campaign updates and fun resources here.  You’ll be able to support the campaign by using video social media and web tiles, editorial and a password guide.  These will be emailed at the beginning of April.  If you know someone who may also be interested, please forward them this email. 
 
One of NZTech’s objectives is to help the Government understand the opportunities and risks of tech.  Recently, we have noticed tech missing from many important policy discussions and have increased our work in this area.  For example, our Reserve Bank of New Zealand Bill submission noted there was no provision for a digital sovereign currency or cryptocurrencies.  Another example is our recent Water Services Bill submission noting no mention of IoT, sensors, data or location technology and asked for the provision of real-time monitoring.  NZTech’s purpose is to help create a prosperous New Zealand underpinned by technology, so we will continue to raise awareness with policy developers across the public service, not just those focused on technology.
 
Finally, this Wednesday is the announcement of the 2021 New Zealand Hi-Tech Awards finalists –  amazing organisations redefining the world we live in for the better.  For the first time, NZTech has entered the awards (Best Contribution to the Tech Sector category) and I’ll be attending the Auckland event.  Tickets to the Awards Gala Dinner are now available and in case you missed it, meet the Hi-Tech Foundation’s winners of its first He Whetū Mārama Ngā Karahipi Leading Light Scholarship. 

Ngā mihi 

Graeme Muller
CEO 

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