Introducing Place Pulse
In this rapidly changing world, mounting pressures from urbanisation, shocks and continuing societal disruption are coalescing to create new and unexpected challenges. These pressures are moulding and shaping communities in dynamic and unpredictable ways; shifting human behaviour in response to the pandemic is indicative of this. With disruption set to continue, past human behaviour no longer paints a reliable picture of what's to come. We need new approaches and deeper, predictive insights that make sense of the complex dynamics shaping our future communities.
Using data to reveal patterns and what's possible
It’s time to understand the implications of targeted attacks against critical utilities and infrastructure and take action. Boards and senior leaders are responsible for protecting New Zealand communities and must act intentionally to safeguard our places, spaces and people. For leaders unsure of their cyber risks and vulnerabilities, now is the time to ask questions.
The next five years will see New Zealand’s water industry fundamentally change in the way it operates. The growing regulatory focus on large infrastructure is set to drive the next wave of cybersecurity changes. With Australia leading the way in operation technology cybersecurity, strengthened guidelines or legislation updates are likely on New Zealand’s periphery.
If we consider the Australian journey as an example, the four-year gap between the Security of Critical Infrastructure Act 2018 and the Security Legislation Amendment (Critical Infrastructure Protection) Act 2022 gave Australian organisations time to step-up. And today, the risk management practices of critical infrastructure providers in Australia have never been stricter. The time is now for New Zealand to prepare for the equivalent and review risks before it becomes a mandated requirement.
While this white paper takes a global lens, it remains relevant to New Zealand’s evolving cyber landscape. We anticipate radical shifts, including regulations and heightened public scrutiny, which demands new approaches and solutions. Among the myriad of risks is the shift of SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) systems to virtualised web-based platforms, introducing the inherent risk of technology change.
Although New Zealand has made progress in its cyber maturity, work remains and must happen soon. Leaders must put the risks and vulnerabilities under a microscope and cybersecurity must be holistically integrated into operation strategy and company ethos.
Combining domain knowledge with emerging expertise
By drawing on various data sources in combination with digital expertise, industry experience and deep domain knowledge, Place Pulse helps us respond to diverse urban challenges. By explaining unexpected changes in community behaviour, we can explore emerging patterns and pre-empt potential social and economic impacts.
Over time we will refine our approach to identify new sources of data and intelligence that will reveal further intricacies and a more intimate understanding of past and predicted community behaviour.