NZ Internet Task Force joins iSANZ Hall of Fame

The New Zealand Internet Task Force (NZITF) has reflected on its recent induction into the iSANZ Hall of Fame this year, saying they're honoured to be recognised.

NZITF chair Barry Brailey and former chairs Mike Seddon and Paul McKitrick received the award in Auckland last week. Brailey says the accolade recognises ten years of hard work.

That hard work comes from Task Force members, which now number around 370 people. Those people come from diverse backgrounds including those with operational roles in cybersecurity from the government agencies, law enforcement, corporate enterprise, banking, telecommunications and internet providers, and academia.

"The individuals and organisations involved in the NZITF contribute immensely to the safety and security of New Zealanders online, and it's a pleasure to see their commitment and dedication recognised at the national level," says Brailey.

Commenting on NZITF's inclusion into the Hall of Fame, the iSANZ Board noted that NZITF has made substantial contributions to cybersecurity training, outreach and information sharing - including consulting with Government on cyber security, running public response activities and developing coordinated disclosure guidelines that have now been adopted by many major enterprises and government agencies.

The iSANZ board wrote this:

"For 10 years, the New Zealand Internet Task Force has dedicated itself to improving the cyber security posture of New Zealand. The non-profit has made substantial contributions to cybersecurity training, outreach and information sharing - including consulting with Government on cyber security, running public response activities and developing coordinated disclosure guidelines that have now been adopted by many major enterprises and government agencies.

This Hall of Fame nominated honour is bestowed annually at the iSANZ Information Security Awards. It recognises a person, event or company who has made a significant contribution to the wider information security community.

Previous iSANZ Hall of Fame inductees include University of Auckland computer security researcher Dr Peter Gutmann, non-profit online safety organisation NetSafe and cybersecurity networking body the 1st Tuesday Forum.

Last week the GCSB also commented on its iSANZ win for Best Security Project/Initiative called CORTEX. CORTEX is an advanced cyber threat detection service for New Zealand's nationally-significant organisations.

"I believe this award is particularly significant as it is acknowledgement from our peers in the information security industry and from across the private sector," commented GCSB director-general Andrew Hampton at the time.

ANZ, Aura Information Security, Defend Ltd, and Aura Information Security's Daniel Underhay also picked up awards at the event.