Tens of thousands of New Zealanders have been sent an unprecedented email from our National Cyber Security Centre.

It's emailed 26,000 addresses warning malicious software, called Lumma Stealer, could have infected their devices.

It's designed to steal sensitive information - and some stolen passwords are connected to Government agency systems and bank accounts.

Aura Information Manager, Patrick Sharp, says international partners revealed the threat to our cyber security centre.

He explained that presumably means an agency's uncovered a trove of stolen data and alerted the NCSC about the email addresses of concern.

LISTEN ABOVE

Tens of thousands of New Zealanders have been sent an unprecedented email from our National Cyber Security Centre.
It's emailed 26,000 addresses warning malicious software, called Lumma Stealer, could have infected their devices.
It's designed to steal sensitive information - and some stolen passwords are connected to Government agency systems and bank accounts.
Aura Information Manager, Patrick Sharp, says international partners revealed the threat to our cyber security centre.
He explained that presumably means an agency's uncovered a trove of stolen data and alerted the NCSC about the email addresses of concern.
LISTEN ABOVE

With a straight down the middle approach, Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive on Newstalk ZB delivers the very latest news and views to New Zealanders as they wrap up their day.

Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Patrick Sharp: Aura Information Manager on the Lumma Stealer malware impacting thousands of Kiwis

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/e760596e-6798-4523-955a-b3af0041160d/transcript

Listen to the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday 12 December.

Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Listen to the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday 12 December. 
Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Full Show Podcast: 12 December 2025 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/03cf3fdc-ba12-4cae-bb28-b3b1006e6ba1/transcript

On the face of it, this coastal shipping decision from James Meager seems like an odd one.

It's a win for truckies, like it or not, we're about to get 500 extra trucks filled with 15,000 tonnes of bulk cement on the road each month.

But it's bad for coastal shipping, even though the Minister says it's actually good for coastal shipping.

Let me explain.

There's a cement company that wants to ship its product round the country, but its current ship is old and buggered.

So a new one is coming to the rescue, but in the meantime, they've sorted a temporary ship for three years to fill the gap.

Well, they did. Until the Minister, James Meager (Assoc. Transport) stepped in and said Nah. You can't operate that vessel here because its foreign-flagged ship.

Meager says he's simply following the law.

The vast majority of goods being moved around the country from local ports are on kiwi boats with kiwi crew, making sure we have kiwi jobs etc.

All very well and good.

Except there's apparently no alterative for the cement guys, Holcim, so they're forced to send everything by road for three years.

And here's the bit that's worrying (aside form the fact we're loading the roads up with more heavy trucks that in many places they clearly can't handle).

Holcim reckons this decision will cost it of millions of dollars.

And once you sink that investment into freight by road, there will come a time when returning to shipping becomes unviable.

So the cement stays on the road.

So in this case, three years with kiwi workers missing out may turn into forever.

And that doesn't seem like a very smart decision, especially at a time when we're trying to boost coastal shipping (newsflash: we're long islands surrounded by water) and when we're limping across the cook straight from the next three years without proper ferries.

I would have thought this makes the whole system a bit weak and vulnerable. Would an extra ship at a time like this not be a good idea, no matter where it's come from and who's manning the deck?

LISTEN ABOVE

On the face of it, this coastal shipping decision from James Meager seems like an odd one.
It's a win for truckies, like it or not, we're about to get 500 extra trucks filled with 15,000 tonnes of bulk cement on the road each month.
But it's bad for coastal shipping, even though the Minister says it's actually good for coastal shipping.
Let me explain.
There's a cement company that wants to ship its product round the country, but its current ship is old and buggered.
So a new one is coming to the rescue, but in the meantime, they've sorted a temporary ship for three years to fill the gap.
Well, they did. Until the Minister, James Meager (Assoc. Transport) stepped in and said Nah. You can't operate that vessel here because its foreign-flagged ship.
Meager says he's simply following the law.
The vast majority of goods being moved around the country from local ports are on kiwi boats with kiwi crew, making sure we have kiwi jobs etc.
All very well and good.
Except there's apparently no alterative for the cement guys, Holcim, so they're forced to send everything by road for three years.
And here's the bit that's worrying (aside form the fact we're loading the roads up with more heavy trucks that in many places they clearly can't handle).
Holcim reckons this decision will cost it of millions of dollars.
And once you sink that investment into freight by road, there will come a time when returning to shipping becomes unviable.
So the cement stays on the road.
So in this case, three years with kiwi workers missing out may turn into forever.
And that doesn't seem like a very smart decision, especially at a time when we're trying to boost coastal shipping (newsflash: we're long islands surrounded by water) and when we're limping across the cook straight from the next three years without proper ferries.
I would have thought this makes the whole system a bit weak and vulnerable. Would an extra ship at a time like this not be a good idea, no matter where it's come from and who's manning the deck?
LISTEN ABOVE

Perspective with Ryan Bridge: Win for truckies, loss for coastal shipping

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/8a5f3d92-1f14-4bd9-bee8-b3b10063cad9/transcript

The country's largest cement supplier says we'll soon have over 500 more trucks on the road every month to move cement across the country. 

They recently requested to use a foreign-flagged vessel with foreign crew to operate for three years while a new vessel was built to replace their outdated M-V Buffalo. 

But this request was declined by the Associate Transport Minister, James Meager. 

He told Ryan Bridge that, "you tend to only give authorizations to carry things for a very short or temporary period, to make up a bit of a gap. And in this instance, it just didn't meet that criteria."

LISTEN ABOVE

The country's largest cement supplier says we'll soon have over 500 more trucks on the road every month to move cement across the country.&nbsp;
They recently requested to use a foreign-flagged vessel with foreign crew to operate for three years while a new vessel was built to replace their outdated M-V Buffalo.&nbsp;
But this request was declined by the Associate Transport Minister, James Meager.&nbsp;
He told Ryan Bridge that, "you tend to only give authorizations to carry things for a very short or temporary period, to make up a bit of a gap. And in this instance, it just didn't meet that criteria."
LISTEN ABOVE

James Meager: Associate Minister of Transport blocks cement supplier's coastal shipping

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/a38f8cc8-2afe-476e-8387-b3b1005eb593/transcript

Patrick Sharp: Aura Information Manager on the Lumma Stealer malware impacting thousands of Kiwis

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