GCSB Director-General Andrew Hampton. Photo: RNZ / Jane Patterson
The head of one of New Zealand's spy agencies has revealed it helped prevent three recent possible domestic terror attacks.
Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) director-general Andrew Hampton and Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) acting director-general Phil McKee appeared before Parliament's Intelligence and Security committee this morning.
Hampton told MPs about three recent domestic counter-terrorism operations the GCSB had been involved in.
One operation involved an individual motivated by extremist ideologies who was making bomb threats; a second targeted a violent white supremacist who was "displaying behaviour of increasing concern online"; and the third involved a person claiming to be a white supremacist who was threatening to use guns and explosives at a public event.
"In all three operations, the GCSB was able to combine lead information with our unique technical capabilities to help identify the individuals, who had each taken great care to anonymise themselves online," he said.
"We were able to work with Police and NZSIS to develop a clearer picture of the real-world threat they posed, and in the case of the third operation - the gun and bomb threat to a public event - we were able to provide information that supported the appropriate action to be taken by police."
Speaking to reporters afterwards, Hampton said in all three operations, the lead information came from other domestic agencies.
"We were able to use our technical capabilities to help round out the picture of those individuals because these were people who were trying to obscure who they were online and that's where we can help out."
SIS: Increasing concern about foreign spies
McKee told the committee the threat of foreign interference and espionage was causing increasing concern.
"We have seen competition between states intensify over the past year and this will have security implications for New Zealand for some time. Foreign states will be looking for a strategic or intelligence advantage in this rivalry."
There were a small number of states running interference and some had the potential to cause "significant harm", he said.
"Some of the most insidious examples concern harassment of ethnic communities in New Zealand who speak out against the actions of a foreign government.
"There are examples where information is collected on them and used to threaten whānau members in their home country."
Foreign actors try to create "long term, enduring" partnerships with people.
"It might be to gain a relationship with someone, thinking they will be put in an influential role or position in the future - that's what makes this hard in many cases," he said.
"If more people are aware of foreign interference, including the tactics used and the goals a foreign government is trying to achieve, then it will struggle to maintain a foothold in Aotearoa."
New Zealand's domestic terror threat was dropped to low late last year.
McKee said that did not mean there was no threat.
"We consider there is a realistic possibility that there are individuals in our country who have the intent as well as the ability to develop the capability to conduct an attack.
"The lowering of the threat level only reflects that we are not currently seeing the same concerning cases of individuals on a mobilisation path to violence. This could change rapidly."
Hampton is set to shift roles to take over leadership of the NZSIS] next month.
