We’re in the midst of a digital revolution, where everything can be done online. Banking, dating, even doctor appointments. When there's a fire we call the fire service, when someone is hurt we call an ambulance - but when there's a problem online, who do we call?
When someone is pretending to be someone else to gain access to my accounts
CERT NZ is a government agency whose sole purpose is to provide advice on cyber security. CERT NZ can help respond to an incident of any size, from your home computer getting a virus, to a large corporate struggling to respond to a problem. If needed, they can also help you get in touch with Police or Netsafe.
If you or your whanau are being bullied or harassed online
In 2015 the Harmful Digital Communications Act came into effect, that provides an avenue for people to get harmful posts taken down and bullies stopped. Netsafe are the non-government agency who administer this process, and they work with Facebook, Twitter, etc.
If you believe a law is being broken or you or your whanau are at physical threat – do not hesitate in dialing 111 for the NZ Police.
When you need advice on kids and internet safety
It can be hard to talk to our kids about being safe online, but it’s never been more important, as more and more of their daily lives are spent connected. Earlier this year (ISC)² launched Safe and Secure Online, a collection of resources for both parents and children (including Garfield videos!) to help talk about why cyber safety is important, and what we can do to stay safe together.
