NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

'Significant' rise in tip-offs about racists and white supremacists since March 15, SIS says

Derek Cheng
By Derek Cheng
Senior Writer·NZ Herald·
12 Feb, 2020 04:48 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Focus: SIS director-general Rebecca Kitteridge says there has been a 'Significant' rise in tip-offs about racists and white supremacists since March 15. Video / Mark Mitchell

Concerns about white supremacists, Nazis and racists in general have been reported to the NZ Security Intelligence Service in much greater numbers since the March 15 terrorist attack.

The heads of spy agencies the SIS and the Government Communications Security Bureau appeared before Parliament's intelligence and security committee this evening.

The SIS was one of the agencies that came under scrutiny after the March 15 attack, with questions about whether its radar had been too focused on potential Muslim threats and not enough on extreme right-wing groups.

READ MORE:
• Facebook regretful but not sorry over March 15 terrorist attack footage
• Mosque massacre: Police commended for 'relentless' work following March 15 attack
• Government responds to some of the concerns of March 15 mosques terror attacks victims
• Facebook says it considered shutting down livestreaming in response to March 15

SIS Director-General Rebecca Kitteridge told the committee that the attack had made the public more aware of certain activities and views.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"That has led to a significant increase in the information we have received from the public ... Between March 15 and the end of June 2019, NZSIS received 455 pieces of lead information, a significant number of which were direct from the public.

"Unsurprisingly, many of these pieces of lead information concerned people who had expressed racist, Nazi, identitarian or white supremacist views."

She added that terrorist groups, including Isis, had been severely degraded but not eliminated, while Al Qaeda also remained active.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

She supported the ongoing Royal Commission of Inquiry into the attack, which limited what she could tell the committee.

"We must learn from this horrific event - and we will," she told the committee.

New Zealand's spy agencies launched in 24/7 mode immediately after the March 15 terrorist attack last year. Photo / Alan Gibson
New Zealand's spy agencies launched in 24/7 mode immediately after the March 15 terrorist attack last year. Photo / Alan Gibson

Immediately after the March 15 attack, she said the SIS launched a 24/7 response with three aims.

• getting a full picture of the alleged attacker, including whether other attacks were planned

Discover more

New Zealand|politics

Facebook says it considered shutting down livestreaming after March 15

16 May 02:07 AM
New Zealand|politics

Govt providing 'tailored, personalised' help for Chch attack victims

21 Jun 04:00 AM
New Zealand|politics

Facebook regretful but not sorry over March 15 terrorist attack footage

24 Sep 01:00 AM
New Zealand|crime

Mosque massacre: Police commended for 'relentless' work following March 15 attack

14 Oct 09:01 PM

• reviewing what the SIS knew about extreme right-wing groups to detect potential copycat attacks

• detecting any suggestion of a revenge attack either in New Zealand or against New Zealand interests offshore

"It is fair to say that this was a global intelligence response," Kitteridge told the committee.

GCSB Director-General Andrew Hampton said the GCSB also went into 24/7 mode, helping mainly through technical capabilities and access to foreign intelligence.

"Like Rebecca, I absolutely support the Royal Commission of Inquiry," Hampton told the committee.

"It is vital that we know if there is anything that could have been done to prevent the attacks, and identify lessons to be learned for the future."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He added that the National Cyber Security Centre had recorded 339 cyber security incidents in the 12 months to June 2019 - slightly lower than the previous year.

"Thirty nine per cent of these incidents had links to state-sponsored actors, which are generally more sophisticated than criminal or non-state activity given the greater resources and motivations of states."

He said more incidents were detected after they happened, meaning there was more opportunity to cause harm.

Kitteridge also said that foreign state actors continued to make "persistent" efforts to access sensitive government and commercial information.

"They have also made attempts to covertly influence individuals and institutions in ways that have a negative impact on our economy and wellbeing."

Hampton said the GCSB would work with the Electoral Commission this year to protect its systems for the election.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He said the GCSB had also advised political parties on how to protect themselves from cyber threats.

"During the election period, we will be responsive to reporting from our security partners, political parties or the public regarding suggestions of state-sponsored disinformation campaigns."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

Small fire at Christchurch haulage yard contained

01 Jul 03:27 AM
New Zealand

Union warns against meat self-inspection plans

01 Jul 03:22 AM
New Zealand

Large pig on the loose surprises Pegasus locals

01 Jul 03:20 AM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

Small fire at Christchurch haulage yard contained

Small fire at Christchurch haulage yard contained

01 Jul 03:27 AM

Fire crews attended, there were no injuries.

Union warns against meat self-inspection plans

Union warns against meat self-inspection plans

01 Jul 03:22 AM
Large pig on the loose surprises Pegasus locals

Large pig on the loose surprises Pegasus locals

01 Jul 03:20 AM
Vast bush fire started by youths on school camp destroys 600 hectares, costs $2m

Vast bush fire started by youths on school camp destroys 600 hectares, costs $2m

01 Jul 03:18 AM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP