Cyber crime losses in New Zealand have surged by 76 per cent.
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has released its Q1 2026 insights report, highlighting a sharp increase in financial losses and significant cyber incidents.
A newly released report from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) indicates that New Zealanders lost $5.6 million to cyber crime in the first quarter of 2026—a staggering 76 per cent increase from the previous quarter. Technical analysis shows a shift toward more complex incidents, with three events classified as 'Highly Significant' (C2) during this period. Phishing and credential harvesting remain the most prevalent threats, accounting for nearly 40 per cent of all reported incidents.
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Financial Impact: Direct losses to cyber crime reached $5.6 million in Q1 2026, a staggering 76 per cent increase.
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Incident Severity: Three "Highly Significant" (C2) incidents were recorded—the first classification at this level for New Zealand since 2022.
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Phishing Dominance: Credential harvesting remains the primary entry point, accounting for nearly 40 per cent of all reported incidents.
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The Individual Gap: Individuals accounted for $5.2 million of the total losses, highlighting personal account security as a critical business vulnerability.
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AI Preparedness: The NCSC and Five Eyes partners have issued an urgent call to action regarding the rapid rise of AI-enabled threat actors.