New Zealand book tackles local and global cyber security policy

Cyber security is no longer just a technology problem, but one that affects society as a whole. One million Kiwis are affected by cyber crime. In 2015, the estimated cost of this was pegged at $257 million. But how do organisations and government tackle the problem?

That is the focus of a new book published by Massey University Press this month, which provides a robust look at the state of cyber security in New Zealand.

The book, titled Cyber Security and Policy: A Substantive Dialogue, aims to facilitate discussion around cyber crime and how it is managed in New Zealand.

It deals with the practical elements of security in areas such as authentication, eCommerce fraud, analytics and how to deal with state-sponsored intelligence and counter intelligence.

It also addresses cyber policy including cyber neutrality, problems and solutions for governance in the Internet of Things (IoT) space, cryptography, the GCSB and how extremists can use the internet to facilitate their expansion.

The New Zealand Government has been attempting to tackle security issues through the Cyber Security Strategy.

The Cyber Security Strategy has four goals: cyber resilience, cyber capability, addressing cyber crime and international cooperation. It aims to cover issues across government, business and individuals.

"Getting businesses to cooperate on cyber security seems almost as hard as prompting rival nations to join efforts against cyber terrorism and cybercrime," notes Professor Rouben Azizian Director, Centre for Defence and Security Studies at Massey University.

"Self-interest and the desire to gain a competitive edge in the cyber domain still obstruct reasonable pragmatism and common security. Clearly, old habits will need to change," he continues.

The book collates researched perspectives from New Zealand's top academics, and rallies for a proactive approach to security trends, policies, societal issues, exploitation and vulnerabilities in IT infrastructure.

Contributors include academics from Massey University, Australian National University, Unitec and The University of Auckland. The book is edited by Andrew Colarik, Julian Jang-Jaccard and Anuradha Mathrani.

"The world of cyber security is in flux and highly vulnerable, with current and emerging technologies posing threats to cyber defences, national and international security. Strategic thinking around cyber security and cyber policies that enact it are mandatory. Ignoring them imperils us all.