Government Cyber Security Showcase Aotearoa 2026
Registration and Networking Coffee
8:00 AM - 8:45 AM (45 mins)
Opening from Public Sector Network
8:45 AM - 9:00 AM (15 mins)
Chair Opening
9:00 AM - 9:10 AM (10 mins)
Ministerial Address
9:10 AM - 9:20 AM (10 mins)
AI at the Frontline of Cyber Defence
9:20 AM - 9:40 AM (20 mins)
Exploring how AI is transforming cyber detection and response across government systems while ensuring accountability and oversight remain central to decision-making.
- Anticipated developments in AI-enabled cyber detection and response.
- Balancing automation with accountability and oversight.
- Global lessons on AI risks and opportunities for government security.
Protecting Critical Infrastructure from Current Threats
9:40 AM - 10:00 AM (20 mins)
Critical Infrastructure in Focus and Preparing for Tomorrow’s Threats
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM (30 mins)
Senior leaders discuss how Aotearoa is securing essential infrastructure from evolving threats through stronger regulation, smarter coordination and resilient design.
- How agencies and industry are strengthening infrastructure resilience.
- Emerging regulatory and operational approaches.
- Lessons from recent disruptions at home and abroad
From Data Breach to Data Trust: Securing Aotearoa's Information Assets
10:30 AM - 10:50 AM (20 mins)
Morning Tea and Networking
10:50 AM - 11:30 AM (40 mins)
That Protects the Public — Architecting Cyber Assurance at the Ministry of Justice NZ
11:30 AM - 11:50 AM (20 mins)
Ministry of Justice NZ guides one of government’s most critical justice portfolios. Security transformation must be ethical, durable and defensible. This session focuses on how to operationalise risk-led governance, uplift accountability, and build continuous cyber assurance across courts, data systems and shared services with a public-first mandate.
- Embedding security governance and risk frameworks built for public sector accountability
- Designing assurance pathways that maintain ethics, transparency and operational trust
- Managing enterprise cyber risk through structured capability, reporting confidence and cross-government alignment
Supply Chain Blind Spots: Tackling Third-Party Risk in Government
11:50 AM - 12:10 PM (20 mins)
Smart, Fair and Accountable: Getting AI Right in Government
12:10 PM - 12:40 PM (30 mins)
This panel explores how New Zealand government agencies are approaching the safe and ethical adoption of artificial intelligence. The discussion will examine how agencies can embed trust, governance, and
responsible use of AI while ensuring systems remain explainable, secure and aligned with public values.
Discussion Points:
- Practical steps for embedding AI governance and accountability across the public sector.
- Ensuring transparency and fairness in government AI systems.
- Building trust through responsible use, clear frameworks, and strong leadership oversight.
AI vs. AI: Defending Government Systems Against Machine-Driven Attacks
12:40 PM - 1:00 PM (20 mins)
Architecting Safe Change — Building Cyber Capability Blueprints
1:00 PM - 1:20 PM (20 mins)
New Zealand Police are introducing a new era of security planning where resilience is engineered, measured and governed holistically. This keynote explores how capability models and ethical governance frameworks are shaping organisational security change, turning enterprise architecture into a practical foundation for cyber resilience without sacrificing accountability.
- Designing security transformation through measurable capability models
- Embedding ethics, oversight and accountability into architecture-led security change, avoiding complexity and compliance fatigue
- Driving security ownership and workforce assurance with confidence to detect, report, and deliver resilience across critical policing systems
Lunch and Networking
1:20 PM - 2:20 PM (60 mins)
AI Governance in Government: Balancing Innovation and Regulation
2:20 PM - 3:20 PM (60 mins)
The public sector faces both opportunity and risk with generative AI. This session explores how to set guardrails, audit AI models and align with Aotearoa’s emerging critical infrastructure legislation.
From Data Breach to Data Trust: Securing Citizen Information
2:20 PM - 3:20 PM (60 mins)
Data is government’s most sensitive asset. This session explores advanced approaches to encryption, classification and data sovereignty that protect citizen trust while enabling safe data use.
Cloud Security Without Compromise: Meeting Compliance and Agility Goals
2:20 PM - 3:20 PM (60 mins)
Government is under pressure to innovate quickly while maintaining strict compliance. This session demonstrates how cloud security can enable speed and resilience without creating policy or compliance gaps.
Zero Trust in Action: Safeguarding Aotearoa's Digital Future
2:20 PM - 3:20 PM (60 mins)
Explore how zero trust frameworks can be practically implemented across departments, from legacy systems to modern cloud platforms. The session highlights lessons learned from government rollouts and vendor expertise in enabling secure, identity-first operations.
AI vs. AI: Defending Government Systems Against Machine-Driven Attacks
2:20 PM - 3:20 PM (60 mins)
With adversaries weaponising AI, agencies must evolve their defences. This session examines how AI/ML can detect, predict and counter novel threats faster than human-only teams.
Identity at the Core: Securing Access in a Borderless Government
2:20 PM - 3:20 PM (60 mins)
How Aotearoa agencies can strengthen identity and access management to prevent breaches, enforce zero trust, and balance compliance with seamless citizen and workforce access.
The Next Wave of Threats, Tech and Trust with the NZQA
3:20 PM - 3:40 PM (20 mins)
A dynamic discussion exploring automation and AI-driven Innovation and defence. Where does Aotearoa fit in as new technology takes hold.
• What next-generation threats could look like — and how to get ahead of them.
• The role of AI-driven automation, innovation and sovereign capability.
• Inspiring collaboration: positioning Aotearoa as a global thought leader in the digital age.
Cyber Security as the Backbone of Trust – Protecting Citizen Data
3:40 PM - 4:10 PM (30 mins)
An in-depth conversation on why citizen trust depends on secure systems, transparent communication and embedding cyber security into every stage of public service delivery.
- Why secure systems are key to public confidence in data and digital services.
- Transparency and communication as part of cyber resilience.
- Evolving towards a “citizen-first” approach to cyber.
Closing Remarks from Chair
4:10 PM - 4:20 PM (10 mins)
Networking Drinks
4:20 PM - 5:20 PM (60 mins)
