Netsafe news stories

Government-funded and non for profit research have proven over the years that there is a significant online risk for many minority communities in Aotearoa, with Māori often being singled out as a particularly vulnerable group.

In New Zealand, it was revealed that those aged between 55-64 and over 65 primarily use their desktop computer or laptop to go online, making them more at risk to cyber threats.

As New Zealand adapts to living with COVID-19, they are also having to deal with an increasing number of life-altering technologies, all of which have a substantial risk of creating cybersecurity issues for the public.

According to the Office for Disability Issues (ODI), those with disabilities account for 25% of Aotearoa's population, so what are we doing to ensure the safety of this community online?

With the inevitability of online and hybrid schooling becoming the norm for many Kiwi kids, parents and educators are finding the risks significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels.

The code aims to establish a self-regulatory framework to protect New Zealanders from online harm and harmful content.

"By focusing on in-depth input from tech platforms before coming to communities and individuals, it highlights the power imbalance with targeted communities."

"If you control the amount of information you release, you can reduce the chance of someone stealing your identity.”

A video shows Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern as the character of Maleficent. Her husband Clarke Gayford then appears. It almost looks real - but we know it isn't.

With every new technology-enabled path we forge, we must also defend ourselves from cyber threats and exploitation. Here we take a look at some of Aotearoa's main cyber defenders.

Kiwis lost $5.23 million in the three months from 1 April to 30 June 2021.

“Harmful experiences, directly and indirectly, cause physical, financial, and psychological harm, decrease user confidence, and undermine investment in the digital economy and society,” says Netsafe chief Martin Cocker.

This Friday May 17 is Pink Shirt Day, which is a colourful way to raise awareness about a serious and in some cases tragic issue: cyberbullying.

" This is an issue that isn’t going away. More needs to be done or we will continue to see large numbers of New Zealanders suffering financial and psychological harm,” says Netsafe CEO Martin Cocker.

Is this for real? More often than not these days it can be hard to tell, and it’s okay to be a bit suspicious, especially when it comes to fraud.

Have you experienced online hate speech? The problem affects New Zealand adults more than you might think.

Can you put a dollar figure on the damage cyberbullying causes New Zealanders? One economist says that cost is around $444 million every year.

Online abuse, bullying and harassment are continuing to cause harm to New Zealanders nationwide, and more people are reporting incidents to Netsafe.

This year Kiwis have lost a staggering $18.6 million to scams, compared to $10.1 million for over the entirety of last year.

Netsafe and Spark are on a mission to raise awareness about the dangers of phone and online scams.

"We encourage everyone, no matter how digitally savvy they think they are, to improve their knowledge of scams."

Netsafe explains why we must change our attitudes to "even if it seems like a reasonable deal, it could still be a scam".

Re:scam, an artificially intelligent email programme, is designed to engage scammers in a neverending cycle of conversation.

​CERT NZ and Netsafe have both reported a surge in online blackmail incidents.