20 August 2026
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) responded to a similar number of cyber security incidents in the second quarter of 2026 as in the previous quarter, while the number of incidents requiring specialist technical support increased significantly.
Between April and June 2026, the NCSC responded to 1,129 incident reports, compared with 1,164 reports in the first quarter of the year.
Of those reports, 92 incidents were triaged for specialist technical support due to their potential national significance, an increase from the 77 incidents recorded in the previous quarter. The remaining 1,037 reports did not require specialist technical support.
NCSC Deputy Director-General Catriona Robinson said the latest figures show overall reporting volumes remained steady, but the number of incidents with the potential to cause wider harm has increased.
"New Zealanders continue to report cyber security incidents at a consistent rate, which helps us build a stronger understanding of the threats affecting individuals, businesses and organisations across the country.
"While the total number of reports has remained relatively stable, we are seeing an increase in incidents that require specialist technical support because of their potential national impact. We encourage New Zealanders to take action to prevent cyber security attacks as the impacts can be very damaging."
Reported direct financial losses totalled $2.7 million during the quarter, a 52 percent decrease from the $5.6 million reported in the first quarter of 2026.
Scams and fraud returned to the top as the most commonly reported incident category, accounting for 348 incidents and approximately $860,000 in reported financial losses. The second most common category was phishing and credential harvesting.
Although less common, unauthorised access incidents accounted for approximately $1.3 million in reported losses, representing around half of the total financial loss reported this quarter.
The NCSC also observed an increase this quarter in reports from New Zealanders affected by malware scams, where cyber criminals use deceptive tactics to convince victims to install malicious software that can steal personal and sensitive information.
To help New Zealanders better recognise and protect themselves from cyber threats, the latest NCSC Cyber Security Insights report includes guidance on malware and QR code phishing scams.
The report's first article, "Malware: Silent predators of cyberspace", explains how malware works and outlines recent examples of malware-related incidents affecting New Zealanders.
The second article, "QR codes: Think before you scan", explores QR code phishing, a growing scam technique that uses fraudulent QR codes to trick people into sharing personal information or compromising their devices. The scam type recently attracted public attention following incidents involving Christchurch parking meters.
Read the The NCSC Cyber Security Insights Report for Q2 2026