Police cyber crime capabilities weak, official reports show
Official reports and assessments from the Australian Federal Police indicate that New Zealand Police lack the necessary tools and expertise to effectively combat cyber crime. Despite the increasing threat of AI-driven attacks, internal reviews suggest that cyber investigations remain a low priority or are handled by untrained staff.
Why it matters
The findings highlight a critical gap in national security and law enforcement readiness as cyber threats become more sophisticated and prevalent.
Cyber crime is becoming the new front line for police, but official reports show they have weak capability to fight it.
This remains the case five years after the landmark cyber attack on Waikato Hospital , and as a new race is underway to prepare for cyber criminals getting their hands on advanced artificial intelligence (AI) within months.
RNZ can reveal a 2024 assessment by Australian Federal Police (AFP) of cyber crime capabilities here found many weaknesses and gaps.
"NZPol lacks the capability and capacity to undertake high-level cyber-dependant crime investigations," said the assessment, newly released under the Official Information Act (OIA).
This meant officers were quick to drop cyber investigations or to leave them to "technology enthusiasts amongst the ranks and those few with 'an interest' in technology", it said.
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