Kia ora and welcome to the August-September 2025 issue of New Zealand Security Magazine! In this issue we provide tips on nominating for the NZ Security Awards, explore what James Bond has to do with layered security, recognise Saved a Life Medal recipients, and much, much more!.
Firstly, a big thanks to our wonderful advertisers! Our advertisers are committed to our industry. Through their sponsorship of this magazine they play an important role by contributing to a vibrant and informed security sector.
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Inside this issue, we mark International Security Officers’ Day 2025 (24 July) by recognising security officers who have in recent months been awarded the NZSA Saved a Life Medal. These are security professionals who have literally saved a person’s life in either preventing or responding to a life threatening event. We acknowledge these heroes.
Some great guest contributor content in this issue, including a thought-provoking piece by Dr Alexander Howard from the University of Sydney on how Australia’s media and politics have distanced the Christchurch shooter from the domestic conditions that helped shape his worldview.
In this issue, we’re honoured to be joined again by Alarm Watch’s Technical Manager Graeme McKenzie who explores the pitfalls of IP-only alarm monitoring. Many clients assume that if their alarm system has a backup battery, the alarm monitoring will keep working as long as the alarm is running. It’s a dangerous assumption, he writes.
Also inside, HID’s Steve Katanas argues that with physical and cybersecurity converging, organisations adopting cloud-based systems with mobile access, biometrics, and MFA stand to be better protected. How? Read on.
In other articles, we take a look at the just-launched New Zealand Biometric Processing Privacy Code, Auckland CBD’s new police station, Genetec’s new NZ distributor, a visit by Lee Odess, this year’s NZ OSPAs winners, the Top 40 Global Thought Leaders in Security & Life Safety’s first kiwi, and – yes – how Bond villains can teach us a thing or two about deterrence, detection, delay, and response!
Finally, get those nominations in for the 2025 New Zealand Security Awards! There are 19 categories up for grabs. As has become an annual thing in the lead-up to the Awards, I provide my tips on how to do a nomination that does good service to your deserving nominee. Don’t leave it to the last moment!
There’s all this and much more to explore in this issue of NZSM. Also, if you haven’t already, consider subscribing to our to-your-inbox eNewsletter THE BRIEF. It’s a great way to keep up-to-date with the latest. Details on the Defsec website.
Nicholas Dynon, Auckland
