Has Key passed the buck on national cyber security

Has Key passed the buck on national cyber security?

Labour today expressed concern that the Prime Minister John Key appeared to not consider cyber threats to New Zealand’s critical national infrastructure as part of his responsibility.

Labour’s Communications and IT spokesperson Clare Curran said she had put a series of written questions to the Prime Minister this week on whether there were any plans to establish a Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) in New Zealand, following the establishment of a CERT in Australia.

The issue was also discussed on a live television debate on internet privacy and security on TVNZ7 on Wednesday night.
“New Zealand already has the Centre for Critical Infrastructure Protection (CCIP), the Government agency working to improve the protection and computer security of our critical national infrastructure from cyber based threats.

“But the establishment of a CERT in Australia has thrown into relief the fact that most other countries have a response team that can handle computer security incidents.

“There have been calls for New Zealand to have a CERT and to be more responsive to a threat to our cyber security. At the very least it is important to know what the government’s view is on this matter,” Clare Curran said.

“The questions were sent to the Prime Minister in his capacity as both Minister in charge of the NZ Security Intelligence Service and Minister Responsible for the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB).

“Instead the questions have been flicked to Communications Minister Steven Joyce to answer. This is surprising and concerning as these are matters of national security.

“Is Steven Joyce is now responsible for the protection of critical national infrastructure from cyber threats?
“And has the Prime Minister abdicated his role as having responsibility for ensuring the integrity, availability and confidentiality of official information through information assurance services to Government; and contributing to the protection of critical national infrastructure from cyber threats.

“If the Prime Minister has allocated part and / or all of the responsibilities of the GCSB to Steven Joyce is it because he’s not interested in our cyber security and doesn’t think it’s that important?

“And does he not view a CERT as a matter of National Security?
“These questions have been put to the Prime Minister today and I look forward to the answers,” Clare Curran said.

ENDS