Tauranga businesses need to safeguard against cyber-attacks says Tauranga Tech founder Ben Rickard. Security breaches are on the rise in New Zealand and across the globe.

Findings from the PricewaterhouseCoopers ‘Global State of Information Security Survey' show the number of detected incidents leapt 48 per cent from the previous year.

Ben Rickard says it's important for Tauranga businesses to be cyber savvy. Photo: Tracy Hardy.

The survey also showed 42 per cent of the businesses surveyed had employee records compromised, compared with 29 per cent globally.

A cyber-attack is an attempt by hackers to damage or destroy a computer network system. It can lead to disruptive consequences for businesses and individuals, such as compromised data, and information and identity theft.

The Tauranga Tech website has been running since February 2014, and is a platform to promote Tauranga as a destination for technology companies.

Ben says many businesses in Tauranga, both large and small, need to be aware of the dangers of cyber-attacks.

'The tools to be able to cyber-attack someone, you can buy online. So it means anybody who fancies it, with a little bit of digging, has the capability to attack any business.”

He says hackers have been known to blackmail businesses, shut down websites, and steal customers' private information.

'All of those things can have a critical effect on a business, whether that's your reputation, your money in the bank, or your capability to continue trading. It doesn't just affect tech businesses. It can affect any business who depends on a website for marketing to bring business in.

'It doesn't take much to bring a website down these days, and that can hurt you. But one of the biggest risks is if you've got a server with information on and you've got emails. You can't run your business without that stuff.”

Most New Zealand businesses are unaware of the probability and real cost of cyber security breaches, says New Zealand Technology Industry Association chief executive Graeme Muller.

The average global cost of a breach is about $US154 per recorded incident.

Graeme will be chairing a New Zealand security summit in Wellington on November 30. The summit includes industry, government, and academic interests in an effort to improve the state of cyber security in New Zealand.

Cyber security cannot be contained and outsourced to any one sector. Due to the vast scope of cyber threats, it requires active engagement, including entities and businesses – large and small – across every industry. Poor cyber security is increasingly affecting all levels of society, whether it is national, local, or personal, says Graeme.

With a few strokes of a keyboard, criminals and rogue nations can launch a cyber-attack from anywhere in the world.

Security is now a critical business discussion in all large firms and government departments. This summit will discuss both the business and technology aspects.

Graeme says the summit is crucial for New Zealand businesses and other organisations. Companies around the world are struggling to deal with the threats of cyber-security and data breaches.

'Cyber threats are the new normal and will only increase as more of our businesses and lives become digital.

'All businesses should have a security plan in place, and for large organisations not doing so could be seen as negligence by the board. It is not inevitable a breach will occur, but the probability is high.”

Graeme says recognition of cyber security implications need to improve among New Zealand businesses.

Ben says Tauranga businesses who have concerns about their cyber security should first have a conversation with their IT provider.

'They're the ones who provide the hardware and run the software and fix your email. Those are the people you should be turning to first.”

He says if you are not happy with the answers they are getting then he'd be happy to give Tauranga businesses some advice. Ben can be contacted through his website www.taurangatech.co.nz