DEFEND wins global Microsoft award as cyber threats surge in NZ
New Zealand cybersecurity firm DEFEND has been named Microsoft's Global Security Partner of the Year, highlighting a period of increased cyber threats targeting the country's public and private sectors.
Regional challenges
New Zealand's government agencies have reported a significant rise in cyber incidents over the last year. The Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) has disclosed that the nation recorded an average of one serious cyber incident per day, with state-backed actors responsible for roughly a quarter of these cases. This trend is echoed by the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS), which has warned of a growing threat from foreign states seeking covert access to sensitive information, including government policy, technological innovation, and research data.
Private sector organisations are increasingly being targeted as entry points into government systems. The Director-General of NZSIS has noted a sharply elevated risk due to the diminishing boundary between public and private sector vulnerabilities.
DEFEND's approach
Founded in 2017, DEFEND has grown to employ more than 140 staff and partners with some of New Zealand's largest companies and government agencies. The Microsoft award was made in recognition of DEFEND's work implementing advanced cybersecurity technologies, including agentic AI, for a New Zealand government department.
Chief Operating Officer Shiv Prasad said the company's continued focus is on maintaining New Zealand's cyber resilience.
"At DEFEND we've always had a kiwi mindset of doing what needs to be done to stay ahead of international cybercriminals. It's quite humbling to find out that while we've had our heads down we've been recognised as a global leader."
Prasad highlighted that the scale and complexity of threats facing New Zealand organisations is growing rapidly. He pointed to the challenge posed by criminal groups with resources dwarfing those of any local firm or government department.
"Cyber criminals have budgets many times New Zealand's annual GDP, and with the emergence of new technologies such as agentic AI, these threats are only increasing in frequency and intensity. These can cause a lot of strife for Kiwi organisations, and can be more catastrophic than a natural disaster like an earthquake or flood. Without robust cybersecurity in place, businesses can also unwittingly provide a back door for foreign cyber espionage agents seeking sensitive state data, not to mention being a target for cyber-extortion (blackmail) themselves," said Prasad.
Threat landscape
New Zealand intelligence officials identify three key types of cyber threats: financially motivated crime such as ransomware and fraud; nation-state cyber espionage; and hacktivist attempts to disrupt or embarrass targets. Authorities say that espionage is typically conducted to steal trade secrets or policy information, while hacktivist attacks often focus on defacement or operational disruption.
Globally, efforts to tackle cybercrime have accelerated. Sixty-five countries recently signed the first global treaty on cybercrime, aiming to improve international cooperation and standardise legal definitions and enforcement mechanisms for digital offences.
Trends for 2025
Cybersecurity experts expect major trends in the coming year to include artificial intelligence being deployed by both attackers and defenders, with AI-generated phishing and deepfakes complicating detection. The traditional concept of a secure office perimeter is shifting, with protections now focused on individual users and devices as organisations embrace cloud services.
Other anticipated challenges include increased supply chain risks, as attack vectors expand through third-party suppliers; growing regulation imposing greater accountability at the board level; and a move towards Zero Trust security models that treat every user and device as untrusted, even inside the organisation.
National focus
The company has continued to expand since One NZ took a majority stake in 2022 and deployed DEFEND's threat management platform across its network. In February, Greg Patchell was appointed as Chief Executive Officer.
"To be recognised on the global stage with this award is an incredible achievement not only for our team but for New Zealand. It proves that world-leading cybersecurity can be delivered right here and NZ organisations can work with a New-Zealand-based security partner that meets the highest international standards," said Patchell, CEO, DEFEND.
