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Information About

Government Communications Security Bureau




The Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) is an Intelligence Agency of the New Zealand government.

The mission statement is given as:

To contribute to the national security of New Zealand through:
  • providing foreign signals intelligence to support and inform Government decision making;

  • providing an all-hours foreign intelligence watch and warning service to Government;

  • ensuring the integrity, availability and confidentiality of official information through information systems security services to Government; and

  • assisting in the protection of the national critical infrastructure from information-borne threats.


The GCSB was established by Prime Ministerial order in 1977 and operates a satellite communications interception station at Waihopai and a radio communications interception station at Tangimoana . The GCSB reports directly to the Prime Minister , who is the Minister_(Government) holding the Intelligence_(information_gathering) portfolio.

In 2001, the Centre for Critical Infrastructure Protection was formed within the GCSB with a mandate to assist in the protection of national critical infrastructure from information borne threats.

In 2003 the Government Communications Security Bureau Act 2003 was passed, establishing the Bureau as a public service department.

A 1985-86 GCSB annual report showed that New Zealand had been reading the communications of friendly countries, including Japanese and Philippine diplomatic traffic, UN diplomatic traffic, and the government communications of Tonga, Fiji and the Solomons. The raw traffic had mostly been obtained from GCHQ or the NSA . 238 intelligence reports had been produced from intercepted Japanese diplomatic communications, although this was down from the previous year as, "The Japanese government implementation of a new high grade cypher system seriously reduced the bureau's output" {Link without Title} .


SEE ALSO



REFERENCES

  • Nicky Hager, "Secret Power - New Zealand's Role in the International Spy Network", Craig Potton Publishing, 1996, ISBN 0908802358 {Link without Title} .



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