New Zealand is now facing its most difficult national security environment in decades, according to the latest assessment from the country’s intelligence agency, RNZ reported.
According to a report by RNZ, the Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) has released its third annual Security Threat Environment report, which highlights escalating risks from violent extremism, foreign interference, and espionage.
The agency noted that while many of the threats remain consistent with earlier reports, conditions have worsened in the past year. Heightened global instability, deepening political divides, and growing public grievances are fuelling the deterioration, it said.
Director-General of Security Andrew Hampton warned that the changing environment has direct consequences for New Zealand’s safety.
“Polarisation and grievance are driving support for extremist ideologies, and foreign states are increasingly targeting New Zealand organisations and communities to pursue their objectives,” Hampton said.
The report also pointed to online radicalisation as a major concern, with vulnerable young people being drawn into extremist movements. It further cautioned that foreign states were attempting to undermine New Zealand’s democracy and that undetected espionage was almost certainly targeting the nation’s intellectual property, as reported by RNZ.
Violent extremism, Hampton said, often emerges from individuals who can carry out attacks with minimal preparation or warning.
“The spread of hateful rhetoric online makes it challenging to separate empty talk from genuine threats. The public may notice warning signs as often as we do, which is why community awareness is crucial,” he told Morning Report.
The NZSIS urged New Zealanders to remain vigilant and report any signs of radicalisation or suspicious activity, emphasising that public vigilance is crucial in preventing future threats.