As our country's cyber security resilience improves, we must continue to build capabilities through training and certification and not waste the gains that we have made.
New Zealand has witnessed a significant improvement in its cyber resilience, keeping ahead of major threats and managing to safeguard our digital infrastructure. Reflecting on the past year's achievements, we must recognise and celebrate the successes in thwarting cyber threats.
However, complacency is a luxury we cannot afford. Instead, we must channel our victories into a steadfast commitment to strengthen our defences further and bolster our capabilities through continuous training and skill development. The largest risk we manage is the people aspect, those who build, maintain, administer and use our systems. Educating all these stakeholders is the only way to stay in front.
Statistics provided by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) 2022/2023 underscore the prevalence and complexity of cyber threats. 316 cyber security incidents were recorded, a testament to the relentless efforts of cyber adversaries. Notably, 23% of these incidents were suspected to be state-sponsored, while criminal or financial motivations drove 28%.
Amidst the challenges, the NCSC's report brings forth encouraging news— New Zealand has experienced an improvement in its collective cyber resilience. Identifying and triaging 105 common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVEs) have been pivotal in this progress.
Furthermore, the issuance of 20 critical vulnerability alerts underscores the proactive measures taken to address potential weaknesses in the digital infrastructure.
We must invest in developing skilled cybersecurity professionals to sustain and build upon this positive momentum. Specialised courses and certifications, including the Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), play a pivotal role in arming cyber security professionals with the necessary skills to confront and mitigate evolving cyber risks.
The CISM Certification Course
Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) is an international professional association that offers policy guidance, benchmarks, and governance tools for organisations that use information technology (IT) systems.
ISACA's Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) certification shows you have expertise in information security governance, program development and management, incident management and risk management.
The CISM training course in NZ promotes international security practices and recognises the individual who manages designs, oversees and assesses an enterprise's information security.
Throughout the four-day course, students can explore domains like governance, developing a business case, and managing risks and incidents.
Lumify Work's cyber security technical instructor, Louis Cremen, notes that in addition to the course materials, students from different industries and sectors are able to learn from each other's experiences.
"One of the good things about this class is that it attracts technical people who are being thrust into management positions. And it also means you have people who talk to the other people in the class... And there's this context of 'How are you doing this? How are you solving this? How are we applying this in a practical way?'.
There are also many people keen to pass the exam. We go through a lot of different practice questions with some analysis on how to best tackle an ISACA exam, giving people a great mix of best practices for information security management, lively discussion on industry practices and challenges, as well as helping the students be prepared for the exam."
This course is designed for professionals new to or moving into roles like Senior Executives, IT Managers, Information Security Professionals, IT Software System and Application Developers or IT Auditors.
Expanding cyber skills with an expert trainer
Louis Cremen is one of Lumify Work's technical instructors based in Sydney, leading the delivery of cybersecurity courses. He teaches many of the foundation security classes, including Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) Security+ as well as some of the advanced certifications such as Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Security Management (CISM), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC), Certified System Security Lifecycle Professional (CSSLP), as well as ISO 27001 Lead Implementer and Lead Auditor. In addition to his instructor role, Louis serves as the Lead Internal Auditor for Lumify Work's ISO27001 and ISO27701 certifications, which aligns with his extensive experience in Security and Software Engineering working across Australia and for international government projects.
Louis attending the Australian Information Security Association (AISA)
Louis is multi-award winning for his training and professional work, notably receiving the prestigious EC-Council "Instructor of the Year" Award for the Oceanic region, reflecting his exceptional student evaluations, commitment to student engagement and ability to incorporate innovative programs and technologies into his teaching.
"One of my core values is that I like to share knowledge that I gain, and so I've always been a problem solver and a trainer at heart."
For Louis, expanding cyber security capabilities through awareness and advanced professional training is necessary because attacks are real. They are common and are becoming more automated with the wider use of tools, scripts and artificial intelligence.
When people understand security and the value security brings, they can make the right decisions, whether they are building an app, securing an enterprise, or performing day-to-day transactions on end-user tools.
For over 30 years at Auldhouse, we've been empowering individuals and organisations in the country through ICT training. With our rebrand to Lumify Work New Zealand, we can tap into the capabilities of the larger Lumify Group and offer expanded learning solutions in cloud computing, data analytics and AI and even cyber security.
With that, we are excited to share that the Lumify Work NZ team will host Louis as he facilitates the CISM course on our Auckland campus along Ponsonby Road. Louis will be flying in from Sydney to meet with New Zealand IT Managers and Information Security Professionals to discuss IS Governance and developing and running an IS program. This 4-day course will take place on 12 - 15 March 2024.
If you want to join the course with Louis, you can view details, request certification information or book for the course dates mentioned through the link below.
Find out more here.