Australia's CyberCX launches New Zealand chapter

Australian cybersecurity megamix CyberCX will be launching a new chapter in New Zealand, expanding to its first international market since it was stood up less than a year ago.

CyberCX, backed by private equity firm BGH Capital, in October brought together 12 of Australia's independent cybersecurity brands: Alcorn, Assurance, Asterisk, CQR, Diamond, Enosys, Klein&Co., Phriendly Phishing, Sense of Security, Shearwater, TSS, and YellIT.

It is headed by Alastair MacGibbon, former head of the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) and once special adviser on cybersecurity to former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, as well as CEO John Paitaridis, who was formerly Optus Business' managing director.

It has since grown, with CyberCX scooping up two Melbourne-based startups, Basis Networks and Identity Solutions earlier this year.

The move across the Tasman is touted by CyberCX as cementing its position as the region's "leading cybersecurity player", creating a full-service cybersecurity operator in New Zealand.

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"New Zealand is a natural market focus for CyberCX. With the exponential growth in the number of cyber attacks on Australian and New Zealand businesses and government agencies, and the aggressive tactics we are seeing from threat actors, we need to significantly bolster our trans-Tasman cyber capability to secure our companies and sovereign interests, in particular Australian and New Zealand critical infrastructure including utilities, agricultural, financial systems, logistics, and supply chain," Paitaridis said.

"Never has this been more important than during the COVID-19 pandemic."

CyberCX said it will introduce a full suite of cybersecurity services, delivered by a local workforce, to protect and defend New Zealand's businesses, enterprises, and government agencies.

The New Zealand operation will be headed up by Grant Smith, who previously founded Gen2 Consulting and DMZGlobal. DMZGlobal is now the specialist security division of Vodafone New Zealand.

As its CEO, Smith said the plan for CyberCX NZ will be to increase its local workforce to more than 100 employees in the next year; expand offices in Wellington and Auckland, followed by opening an office in Christchurch; and investing in developing a New Zealand security operations centre capability and local cyber workforce development.

"It is time that Australia and New Zealand had its own cybersecurity company, a national champion at scale, able to defend and protect our local businesses and economies. For too long we have relied on international companies for cyber services, where their interests don't always align," Paitaridis added.

"We are fiercely independent and driven by our purpose to protect the communities we serve. We are uniquely focused on delivering mission critical cyber security services to New Zealand and Australia leveraging our 500 plus cyber security specialists on both sides of the Tasman."

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