More than 80 percent of people don’t independently verify AI-generated information. As AI becomes the first place customers go for answers, that trust is creating a new challenge for New Zealand businesses.
AI is having its “peak hype” moment, but beneath the noise there is a very practical question most New Zealand business owners are asking: Will this actually help my business run better, or is it just another shiny tech distraction?
Kordia regional cyber security business manager Peter Bailey explains why we can’t accept large-scale data breaches as inevitable. In a data-driven world, our personal information is everything. When we hand over our credentials and ID to businesses, we are trusting them. We need to have the assurance that they have measures in place to keep our data safe. Latitude Finance, the parent company of Gem and Genoapay, recently suffered a major cyber breach which saw 14 million customers impacted across both sides of the Tasman. Personal data was stolen, including drivers’ licences, dates of birth, passport numbers, photos and more. Latitude has confirmed it will not be paying a ransom to retrieve the data – it is yet to be
Richard Conway explains how AI technology can streamline your workflow and boost creativity. I believe we are at a pivotal moment in history. In November 2022, OpenAI, funded by Microsoft among others, launched ChatGPT. The uptake was immediate, and adoption was profound. As of January 2023, there were more than 13 million daily visitors and more than 100 million users. Technology like this (and Google’s equivalent, Bard) is set to disrupt many industries, including digital marketing. Generative AI (artificial intelligence) can create a blog post based on defined parameters in seconds; the technology can debug code, write a poem, and even create a business plan – and we are only just scratching the surface. Many companies have already started leveraging
D-Link has launched its DSR-250V2 Unified Services VPN Router for small to medium businesses. Boasting advanced features such as WAN failover, load balancing and an integrated firewall, the DSR-250V2 is a reliable, secure and flexible way to manage any network. With its full featured VPN offering various encryption methodologies, secure communications between mobile or remote employees, as well as branch to branch offices, can be easily configured. A key feature requested by many SMB’s, the DSR-250V2 boasts a built-in Captive Portal which enables employees or guest users to be easily authenticated and authorised by accessing customised landing pages, such as when guests arrive at a hotel, or when customers want to access the Internet whilst at their local coffee shop.
E-waste recycler, Computer Recycling, celebrates the milestone of processing more than two million kilograms of e-waste for the year to March 2023. Estimates suggest New Zealanders produce up to 100,000 tonnes of e-waste per year, with only two percent of it being recycled. Through enhanced recycling capabilities, Computer Recycling is now capturing two percent of the country’s e-waste on its own. Through sustainable recycling and reuse practices, Computer Recycling has brought the nation one step closer to eradicating e-waste from general landfills. The scale of this waste reduction plays an important role in helping Aotearoa deliver on its future waste minimisation goals. This milestone has come on the one-year anniversary since Computer Recycling’s launch of the world’s eighth, and New
A new cybersecurity business is a game-changer for smaller Kiwi firms, allowing them access to the services of security professionals from around the world, at a fraction of the normal cost. Capture the Bug is an intelligent security vulnerability platform that connects businesses with a global pool of security professionals who are incentivised to hunt, report and fix bugs. By participating in a bug bounty programme, businesses can identify vulnerabilities before they are exploited by malicious hackers, avoiding costly data breaches and reputational damage. Bug bounties have been a popular tool for large companies including Google, Microsoft and Airbnb and government agencies for years but, until now, smaller organisations have been unable to access these services due to cost. Capture
Matthew Evetts explains why taking a ‘Zero Trust’ approach to cybersecurity could keep New Zealand businesses more secure. According to the government’s Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT), $20 million was taken from New Zealanders by scammers in 2022 as cybercriminals continue to adopt new and more sophisticated scams. That loss was a massive 19 percent up on 2021, at a time when living costs are rising and people really can’t afford to be giving money away to scammers. If you live any of your life online, you’re almost certain to have been targeted, and cybercriminals are getting better at it. Gone are the days of badly worded appeals for money from a random prince. Now you’ll get short, believable texts
Upcoming event
Thursday 30 July 2026 | 7:00am – 9:00am
📍 Covert Theatre, 51 Mackelvie Street, Grey Lynn, Auckland
Everyone talks about the importance of business strategy, but what does it actually mean in practice? Strategy trainer Ryan Sproull cuts through the jargon to give SME owners a clear, practical framework for thinking strategically about their business.
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