NZ to help Fiji overhaul spy agencies

DATA SHARING: The mission includes keeping New Zealand safe, and the wider Pacific region open, stable and resilient, the NZ Security Intelligence Service said

Fiji is enlisting New Zealand’s intelligence agency to help overhaul its fragmented security sector, Suva said on Wednesday, as US warnings of suspected China-linked cyberintrusions highlight concerns about vulnerabilities in the nation.

The Fijian Cabinet approved a six-month partnership with the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS), funded by Wellington, to assess Fiji’s intelligence structure and recommend reforms, Fiji’s government said in a statement.

The review is designed to improve information-sharing and coordination across agencies, and reforms would create a more sustainable intelligence framework with clearer roles and improved support for security decisionmaking, the statement said.

Vehicles drive on a road in Suva on Friday last week.

Photo: AFP

Fiji did not identify a specific threat behind the review.

The NZSIS said in a separate statement that it was working on the review.

A spokesperson said its mission included keeping New Zealand safe and contributing to an open, stable and resilient Pacific region, and that meant working with Pacific partners on shared security challenges and supporting them to build resilience.

The US embassy in Suva earlier this week said that it had alerted Fiji and a regional organization based in the capital to a suspected network compromise between July and August.

Hackers linked to China maintained access to the organization’s network for several days, while Washington had provided technical recommendations to help Fiji and the affected entity protect their systems, the embassy said.

The US had continued to observe China-linked state-sponsored cyberactors targeting foreign governments, multilateral organizations and telecommunications networks in the Pacific, it said.

Stolen data could expose sensitive communications among Pacific island countries and territories, it added.

China’s embassy in Suva rejected the allegations, saying on Tuesday that Beijing opposed hacking and the politicization of cybersecurity.

“China firmly opposes and combats hacking activities in accordance with law,” the Chinese embassy said, accusing the US of making allegations without evidence and calling for dialogue to manage cyberrisks.

The intelligence review comes as Pacific governments face growing pressure to protect government networks and critical communications while navigating sharpening competition for influence between China, the US and its regional partners.