Kia ora and welcome to the February-March 2026 issue of New Zealand Security Magazine, our first issue for the year! On behalf of the team at NZSM and Defsec, I hope your 2026 is prosperous, happy, and safe.
As always, a very big thanks to our wonderful advertisers. Our advertisers are businesses that are committed to our industry. Through their sponsorship of this magazine they play an important role in contributing to a vibrant and informed security sector.
In this issue of NZSM, there’s a little something for everyone. But first, a very big congratulations to Shaun Laifone and Ruth Tongotongo who recently won 2025 Global OSPAs in the categories of Outstanding Security Officer and Outstanding Young Security Professional respectively. Shaun and Ruth are the first-ever New Zealanders to claim gongs in the global awards, and they have done our industry immensely proud.
View/Download the 48-page full-colour magazine…
In an article focused on the vexed issue of New Zealand’s retail crime statistics, I ask whether our much commentated upon post-COVID retail crime hike is actually real or not. It’s a provocative question, I know, but my concern is that the numbers don’t quite add up yet big decisions are being made by government and retailers off the back of them. Are these decisions being made on the basis of flawed data?
We are joined again in this issue of NZSM by Massey University’s Dr John Battersby, who considers some of the intelligence aspects of the tragic Bondi Beach attack. Flagging a potential terrorist is no easy feat, he writes, and accurately divining a person’s future intentions is a devilishly difficult undertaking to pull off.
On the associations front, we feature NZSA CEO Gary Morrison’s most recent newsletter and we highlight a recent NZSA update about pre-employment training modules, NZSA corporate member self-audits, new apprenticeship pathway, and more.
Also inside, the New Zealand OSPAs open for nominations, the NZSA breaks down the findings of the recently published PSPLA-PSSG annual report, isolation and loneliness becomes a global security threat, Sweden says good security is good for the nation, and a cyber treatment plan is recommended for NZ’s digital health systems.
If you haven’t already, consider subscribing to our regular eNewsletter THE BRIEF. It’s a great way to keep up to date with the latest. If you’re not already an NZSM subscriber, make sure you visit www.defsec.net.nz to sign up!
Keep safe.
Nicholas Dynon, Auckland
