What is CORTEX?
We work with nationally significant government and private-sector organisations to supply a cyber threat detection and disruption service called CORTEX.
CORTEX counters advanced foreign malware that commercially available products and services typically don’t have the capability to detect or prevent.
CORTEX has the capability to protect organisations against:
- theft of intellectual property,
- loss of customer data,
- destruction or dissemination of private communications,
- holding data for ransom, and
- damage to IT networks and services.
The kind of organisations CORTEX protects includes:
- government agencies,
- key economic generators,
- niche exporters,
- research institutions, and
- critical national infrastructure operators.
We do not disclose the identities of individual organisations receiving CORTEX protection. Doing so may help confirm where some of New Zealand’s most valuable information is held and increase the risk of targeted cyber attacks.
Our cyber security capabilities operate under the Intelligence and Security Act 2017 and are part of New Zealand’s Cyber Security Strategy. They can’t be used for purposes other than cyber security, and they operate with the explicit agreement of the organisations we protect.
Related information
Intelligence and Security Act 2017 – DPMC External Link
New Zealand's Cyber Security Strategy 2019 – DPMC External Link