GCSB expands malware defence system after successful pilot

The GCSB's malware defence system pilot has proved a success and will be expanded. Photo / File

The Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) will expand its malware defence system following a successful pilot, Minister for GCSB and SIS Andrew Little says.

The pilot, carried out with Vodafone as the internet service provider on some of its consenting customers, showed the Malware-Free Networks (MFN) programme had the potential to disrupt a significant amount of malicious cyber activity, Little said.

"The GCSB already provides its Cortex advanced cyber defence capabilities to a broad range of nationally significant organisations. Malware-Free Networks will be an additional service, providing an extra layer of protection to many more organisations," he said in a statement.

"Expanding this service will significantly increase the range of organisations receiving the cyber defence services Government offers New Zealand's organisations of national significance through the GCSB."

Organisations of national significance include government departments, key economic generators, niche exporters, research institutions and critical national infrastructure.

"I expect over the next two years a substantial number of New Zealand's nationally significant organisations will have engaged with the GCSB on Malware-Free Networks," Little said.

GCSB director Andrew Hampton told MPs earlier this year that the pilot had been very effective. "It ended up by us making threat information available to the ISP directly. They were able to block about five or six times more malware than they would than with their own capability," he said.

The cost of the expansion would be paid for from the GCSB's baseline funding and the service would be provided only to organisations that consented to receiving it, Little said.