PRIORITY ACTION 3 Enhance New Zealand’s operational response to cybercrime A range of government agencies, NGOs and private sector companies play different roles in regard to cybercrime. To generate the strongest possible response to cybercrime, we need to work together and leverage our individual and collective strengths. Our measures of success will be a coordinated response to cybercrime and a better understanding of the size, nature and impact of cybercrime threats. ENHANCING NEW ZEALAND’S RESPONSE TO CYBER INCIDENTS As set out in New Zealand’s Cyber Security Strategy, work is underway to establish a national CERT18 to deal with issues across the spectrum, including cybercrime. New Zealand’s cyber response capabilities have developed organically and are spread across a range of agencies. A CERT should bring some of those capabilities together and result in a more effective and efficient response for victims of cybercrime. Ways to enhance cross-agency operational effectiveness in the prevention, investigation and response to cybercrime will be investigated. There are opportunities for agencies to share knowledge and techniques in investigations. As discussed earlier, some of this is already underway through forums like e-CLAG. Making it easier for New Zealanders to report cybercrime will… help New Zealand better understand and respond to cybercrime Police reporting will begin to distinguish cybercrime from other crimes. At present, it is not always possible to distinguish between crimes committed online and those committed offline. Police recording of reported incidents will need regular reviews to consider identification of cybercrime and cyber-enabled crime so that they are distinguishable from offences which are not facilitated by ICT. This will mean developing criminal behaviour is properly monitored, allowing new and developing trends to be better identified. ENHANCING OUR CUSTOMER FOCUS As highlighted earlier, cybercrime tends to be under-reported for a range of reasons. Making it easier for New Zealanders to report cybercrime will provide better support to victims and ensure better information is collected, to help New Zealand better understand and respond to cybercrime. Options to establish a central point for cybercrime reporting will be considered. Options to improve customer experience will be considered by providing a single ‘front door’ at which issues are triaged and directed to the appropriate responder. Victims of cybercrime have access to the same support as other victims of crime. Focusing on victims in the criminal justice system helps reduce the cost and impact of crime on individuals. Financial and emotional effects of crime on victims will be minimised and services for victims will be provided in a timely and credible way.19 18 CERT was once an acronym for ‘computer emergency response team’. Since 1997, CERT has been a registered trademark owned by Carnegie Mellon University and is no longer used as an acronym. New Zealand is requesting permission to use the CERT trademark. 19 www.victimsinfo.govt.nz/ National Plan to Address Cybercrime 2015 13