NZSIS Annual Report 2025

The NZSIS works to the New Zealand Government’s National Security Intelligence Priorities – Whakaarotau Marumaru Aotearoa (NSIPs). These define key areas of national security interest, assisting agencies with related roles to make informed, joined-up decisions. Some of the NSIPs that relate to the NZSIS are:

• foreign interference and espionage
• New Zealand’s strategic interests in the Pacific region
• terrorism and violent extremism
• global governance and strategic competition, and
• threats to New Zealanders overseas. 

Our contribution to the NSIPs is reported throughout the report.

Baseline savings

The NZSIS baseline was reduced by $3.44 million in 2024/25 through the Budget 2024 Initial Baseline Exercise. We achieved the savings targets through efficiency savings that could be managed without having a significant impact on current operational activity, such as reducing spend on contractors and consultants, training and development, travel, and reduced financial contingencies. In order to address ongoing cost pressures we reallocated staff between the NZSIS and the GCSB to strengthen enablement functions, reduce duplication, and disestablished some leadership positions while maintaining front line personnel. 

The NZSIS’s mission is to keep New Zealand and New Zealanders safe and secure. To achieve this, we work closely with New Zealand’s national security community, and a growing number of other agencies, on issues that cross multiple agency mandates, sectors and priorities. Our success is more likely to be preventing something from happening, identifying and mitigating a risk, or building understanding and resilience against national security threats.

The majority of our performance information is classified and cannot be released publicly. Where performance information is unclassified and can be released, it is set out in the following pages.

You can read case studies of our work in New Zealand’s Security Threat Environment 2025 on the NZSIS website. 

Countering espionage and interference

The NZSIS investigates and seeks to mitigate possible espionage and foreign interference threats taking place in or against New Zealand. We seek to understand and assess the threats and provide timely advice and intelligence reporting to help counter these activities.

The NZSIS detects, deters and disrupts foreign state adversaries form undertaking high harm intelligence and interference activities targeting New Zealand and New Zealand’s interests, including those in the Pacific.

Contributing to a secure, prosperous and resilient Pacific

New Zealand has a critical, long-term and non-discretionary stake in supporting and advancing peace, stability, prosperity and resilience in the Pacific. In short, what happens in the Pacific has a fundamental impact on New Zealand’s own national security, prosperity and identity. As outlined in the NZSIS Strategy 2024-2029, our role is to work with our Pacific counterparts and others to detect, disrupt and deter activities that undermine New Zealand’s national security and that of our partners in the Pacific. This includes supporting Pacific partners to build their protective security. 

The NZSIS has a clear role to play in achieving the outcomes sought under the Government’s Pacific Resilience objectives and regional commitments. In doing so, our work in the Pacific contributes to both security intelligence and foreign intelligence services for the New Zealand Government.

Countering terrorism and violent extremism

The NZSIS investigates violent extremism threats against New Zealand’s interests and works with other agencies to prevent these threats from escalating into acts of terrorism.

The NZSIS assesses whether existing threats are increasing or diminishing, and works to detect and understand new or emerging threats. The NZSIS looks at global and domestic events and developments relating to violent extremism in order to understand the possible impact on violent extremist activity in New Zealand.

Case study

Raising awareness of young people in violent extremism

Context

The NZSIS, along with our domestic and international partners, are increasingly concerned about young people interacting with violent extremist material and the increase in the number of young people who support, plan or undertake terrorist activities.

Vulnerabilities, such as mental health difficulties or other complicating factors create additional layers of challenge when assessing threat and risk. This phenomenon is apparent in New Zealand – in 2024/25, the number of leads the NZSIS opened on minors more than doubled compared to the year prior.  

What we did

Throughout 2024, we have worked closely alongside our partners to write and publish an unclassified Five Eyes Insights paper on this issue: Young people and violent extremism: a call for collective action. The paper includes New Zealand-specific case studies. The purpose of the paper was to inform the public of the challenges we face in this space and highlight the need for an all-of-society response to this issue. 

Throughout the year we have sought opportunities to speak about this issue in our public engagements with relevant stakeholders. For example, we presented on the continuing trend of young people in violent extremism to the Secondary Principals Association of New Zealand’s (SPANZ) board and at their annual conference, engaged at individual high schools across the North and South Islands.  

Our impact

As a direct result of our engagement throughout the year on this issue, we have received lead information from teachers and principals of schools in New Zealand about young people in their schools who they are concerned are becoming radicalised.

The SPANZ executive expressed sincere gratitude for our presentations and offered to facilitate further planned engagement.

The Combined Threat Assessment Group

The Combined Threat Assessment Group (CTAG) is an interagency group hosted and led by the NZSIS that provides independent assessments and advice to inform the National Security System and wider government agencies of the physical threats to New Zealanders and New Zealand interests posed by terrorism, violent extremism and violent protest both domestically and internationally, and violent crime offshore. 

The CTAG provides strategic insight, threat assessment and advice, and intelligence support to inform New Zealand Government and Ministerial decisions, including those related to:

• The setting of New Zealand’s National Terrorism Threat Level.
• Security preparations and arrangements for designated domestic and international major events.
• Travel advisories and protective security arrangements for those travelling internationally, including internationally protected persons visiting New Zealand.
• The designation of terrorist entities under the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002.

National Security Assessments

The NZSIS provides intelligence reporting and assessment to New Zealand Government agencies to inform decision making, provide assurance, and build New Zealand’s resilience and responsiveness to national security harms including terrorism, espionage, and foreign interference.  

The NZSIS monitors for harmful activity occurring through vectors that those seeking to harm New Zealand may seek to exploit. This includes investments into sensitive sectors, and regulated outer-space activities. Our work is responsive to individual activities or events but increasingly advises at a thematic or strategic level to inform system and sector responses to known and emerging threats in areas of heightened national security importance.

Collectively, our national security assessment work hardens the New Zealand environment against national security threats and contributes to keeping New Zealand and New Zealanders safe.

Border Screening

The NZSIS carries out national security assessments and checks relating to the movement of people across borders, into sensitive physical areas, as well as the appointment of people to some Crown boards. The NZSIS primarily seeks to detect individuals with links to terrorist and violent extremist groups, or those with covert links to illicit foreign interference or espionage actors. The advice the NZSIS provides is integral to aiding a wide range of Government agencies to manage national security risks and protect the integrity of New Zealand’s immigration system and passport.

During the reporting period we provided national security assessments on the following:

• Applications for visas issued by Immigration New Zealand
• Applications for New Zealand citizenship issued by the Department of Internal Affairs
• Aviation Security Clearances granted by the Civil Aviation Authority
• Crown Board appointments to a range of Government agencies. 

We continue to take a risk-based approach to prioritisation that ensures responsiveness to the changing threat environment and Government priorities, and to meet an increasing demand for the national security assessment service.

During 2024/25, we successfully delivered a multi-year project implementing changes that improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our National Security Check process

External Engagement

Engagement is an important tool which enables the NZSIS to discover, understand and share information.  Engagement has the potential to enhance the impact of our services, improve national security outcomes, and grow New Zealanders’ resilience to the threats we face as a society. 

While the NZSIS has always carried out engagement with a variety of stakeholders, the formal establishment of a dedicated Engagement function in 2023 has enabled a strategic approach to engagement. It has allowed us to improve the co-ordination and collaboration of engagement efforts across our agency and with our partners across government. This has improved the efficiency and effectiveness of our engagement, maximising our reach and enabling us to deliver impact with and for others. 

During 2024/25, we:

• Averaged 75 engagements a month with communities, local government, education and the private sector. 
• Sought to make intelligence available and impactful for a wider audience by deliberately designing and sharing information at an unclassified level.  This included our New Zealand Security Threat Environment Report 2024, which was downloaded 17,198 times. 
• Adopted new engagement methods to expand our reach including webinars, conferences and events, and a new community newsletter which provides information in a digestible way for New Zealanders. 
• Partnered with stakeholders on publications, and methods of disseminating information. For instance, we have collaborated with the Ministry for Ethnic Communities (MEC) to translate some NZSIS material into 30 different languages and have facilitated events with Police, DPMC, GCSB and the Department of Internal Affairs.

Protective Security Requirements

The NZSIS is responsible for managing the New Zealand Government’s Protective Security Requirements (PSR) framework. The PSR provides advice and guidance to support organisations to build their security capability across the four pillars of security governance, personnel security, information security, and physical security. It outlines 20 mandatory requirements, which provide a foundation for strong security practice, as well as a capability model and information to support organisations to develop a security system that is scalable and fit for their individual environments. The PSR framework and support mechanisms are continually reviewed and updated to ensure they remain best practice. 

During 2024/25, we:

• Improved protective security capability through effective engagement with government agencies, including the facilitation of PSR practitioner and Chief Security Officer (CSO) strategic forums, one-on-one engagements with agencies, and bi-monthly newsletters. These engagements enable information sharing and best practice among agencies, and allow us to provide updates on key protective security developments. 
• Piloted a new PSR Assurance Framework and Self-Assessment Tool, aimed at creating a better system for agencies to check they have the right protective security measures in place. 
• Thanks to awareness raising efforts, particularly regarding foreign interference and espionage, there has been increased demand for guidance and advice on how to identify, manage and mitigate the risks. To meet this demand, the NZSIS published six pieces of publicly available PSR guidance in 2024/25 including Secure Innovation, Trusted Business, Managing Inwards Visits and Travelling Overseas on Business. 
• Continued to support our Pacific neighbours by providing protective security advice and assisting them to develop protective security frameworks which will increase resilience to a range of threats.

Security Services for the NZIC and New Zealand Government

The NZSIS provides security services for the New Zealand Intelligence Community including operational advice and guidance, physical security, insider threat and personnel security. We also provide some protective security services to other New Zealand government departments, including countering national security insider threats and certification of high security areas. 

The NZSIS is responsible for leading the discovery, investigation, and assessment of actual or potential insider threats within government. When investigating potential insider threats, the NZSIS prioritises investigating activity indicative of higher harm to New Zealand’s national security, such as: 

• unauthorised disclosure of official information (whether it is classified, or not)
• theft or sabotage or New Zealand Government resources or assets that adversely effects national security
• behaviour indicative of espionage, loyalty to foreign interests, or support for violent ideologies.

The NZSIS’s work in this area extends to establishing best practice for identifying and mitigating insider threats, and working with government agencies to prevent, mitigate, and respond to actual or potential insider threats.

National Security Clearances

The NZSIS has a statutory responsibility for administering New Zealand’s national security clearance vetting process. This role enables us to support effective security across the public sector, by ensuring only those people who are suitable for handling classified information are in a position to do so.

We advise whether a person is suitable for a national security clearance, or whether any risks need to be managed in order for them to hold a clearance. The process can include looking into a candidate’s background, lifestyle and any other relevant information. The chief executive of the requesting agency makes the final decision about granting a national security clearance.

During 2024/25, we:

• Focused on reducing backlogs, maintaining high quality recommendations and strengthening internal capability. Long-term initiatives reached maturity resulting in measurable gains in timeliness and efficiency.
• Met our target of completing 98 percent of priority security clearance applications on time (comparative data below). The target was achieved for the first time. These results highlight the maturity of workflow planning improvements and the ability to balance competing operational pressures. 

Demand for security clearances

The overall demand for security clearances from across government decreased by 16 percent compared to the previous year, easing overall pressures. While total demand fell within forecasts, the composition varied.  

The make-up of demand created pressure in higher-volume areas where resourcing could not be scaled quickly. Confidential and Secret remain the most heavily requested levels with a typical volume of 72 percent of total demand. This meant that even the modest surges in these levels had a large operational impact in comparison to Top Secret and Top Secret Special. This led to longer queues for Confidential and Secret, and extended total application times¹ for Secret. While efforts were made to improve efficiency, quality and standards were not compromised. This was important due to the high number of complex applications relating to mental health, and alcohol and drug use.

1 The total application time is from the time NZSIS receives an application to the time a recommendation is made.

Security clearance complexity

Complex applications require specialised vetting staff to undertake more extensive enquiries to gather further information from other government agencies and third parties. These complex applications take considerably more time and effort to complete.

There has been a 26 percent decrease in the total number of complex applications but total numbers remain high compared to previous years. Volumes are elevated due to the detailed information collected through Tiaki, the security clearance management system launched in 2022/23

Priority security clearances

The number of priority² applications are unchanged from the previous year. These applications make-up 61 percent of total recommendations. These applications have specific due dates and are prioritised to meet tight deadlines often driven by specific agency needs, deployments, postings, operations, new staff or renewals.

 
2 Priority applications have a due date submitted by the agency.

Total inventory levels of security clearance

Total inventory reduced by 26 percent compared to the previous year. This distribution across all clearance levels is now more balanced. Confidential accounts for 30 percent of inventory and Secret 31 percent. Top Secret, previously over-represented at 65 percent has decreased to 32 percent. Top Secret Special now represents 8 percent. This shift reflects a healthier and more sustainable distribution.

The reduction in total inventory is due to both a return in demand to expected levels for Top Secret and Top Secret Special, and targeted operational improvements. The most significant change was Top Secret, where the queue size fell by 69 percent. Whereas, Confidential and Secret queues increased following a sharp increase of demand in the final quarter.

Total application time

The total median application time³ for all standard security clearance applications remain within agreed timeframes. The median application time for Confidential remained steady at 5 working days, Secret increased to 8 working days, Top Secret reduced to 30 working days, and Top Secret Special reduced to 31 working days.

These results reflect a mix of stability, increased pressure, and improvements across our process. Confidential consistency was due to stable demand until the final quarter. Top Secret and Top Secret Special reductions were due to demand settling to expected levels, and a targeted approach which helped clear previous backlogs. In comparison, Secret experienced ongoing high demand since January 2025. This led to longer wait times for processing applications.

 
3 The median total application time is from the time NZSIS receives an application to the time a recommendation is made. This measured in median working days.

How we measure performance

Reporting entity

The NZSIS is a New Zealand government department as defined by section 5 of the Public Service Act 2020. The relevant legislation governing our operations includes the Public Finance Act 1989, Public Service Act 2020 and the Intelligence and Security Act 2017.

The NZSIS is New Zealand’s domestic security intelligence agency and lead organisation for human intelligence (HUMINT). We do not operate to make a financial return, and we are a Public Benefit Entity (PBE) for performance reporting purposes.

Our performance framework (see pages 8-9) sets out how we measure, track, and report on our strategic intentions and impacts. We measure the services we provide to the Government, our customers, and the public that support us to achieve these impacts (our outputs).

We are funded through one appropriation, Vote Security Intelligence. The appropriation contains a group of output performance measures and standards to assess how well we deliver our services and activities.

The majority of our performance information is classified and cannot be released publicly. Where performance information is unclassified and can be released, it is set out in the following pages (pages 25-29).

Statement of Compliance

Our performance information is prepared in accordance with Tier 1 PBE accounting standards, which have been applied consistently throughout the 2024/25 financial year.

This includes compliance with the new PBE FRS 48 Service Performance Reporting standard. The standard sets principle-based requirements around the selection and presentation of performance information that is appropriate and meaningful to readers.

Critical reporting judgements, estimates, and assumptions

We use a framework of performance measures to help us achieve outcomes for New Zealand, contribute to Government priorities, improve outcomes for customers and deliver high-quality services. The measures included this year help assess our progress and results.

Our performance measures are reviewed each year. Performance measures are selected through consultation with subject matter experts with consideration for measures that best demonstrate performance against our key functions and activities, the availability of data and relevance to the result or outcome we are trying to achieve. We have discretion to select our measures and targets.

For comparability and consistency, we maintain a core set of performance measures each year. This allows us to compare performance from prior years and maintain visibility of critical performance areas over time.

Contextual information

We have included comparison of our 2024/25 performance measures against the results for 2023/24. The 2024/25 actual results in this section are audited. The 2023/24 comparative results are unaudited.

We provide additional information to explain any significant changes in performance or where standards have not been met.

Minister satisfaction survey (page 29)

In keeping with the Policy Quality Framework provided by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) we survey our Minister each year to assess their satisfaction with the policy advice and ministerial servicing we provide. The survey measures our Minister’s satisfaction across four areas on a five-point scale. The survey is amended slightly from DPMC’s Ministerial Policy Satisfaction Survey to reflect the Minister’s role in signing intelligence warrants. The survey was completed by the Minister Responsible for the NZSIS in July 2025.

Timeliness

Timeliness in responding to requests and incidents is an important part of the NZSIS’s work. We measure timeliness of key activities such as responses to critical incidents, advice on security clearances, provision of national security risk assessments and border screening.

Quality assurance

We monitor the quality of our security vetting recommendations to ensure they meet the standards required. We evaluate whether our recommendation is consistent with PSR guidelines by reviewing a random sample of 20 percent of all vetting recommendations.

Case studies

Case studies are used to provide qualitative examples of performance. The NZSIS works closely with New Zealand’s national security community and a growing number of other agencies on issues that cross multiple mandates, sectors and priorities. Given the complexity of the national security system and our role within it, we use case studies to demonstrate the action we took and the impact we had. We ensure case studies are relevant, representative, understandable, timely and verifiable.

How we performed against our output measures

The majority of our performance information is classified and cannot be released publicly. Full performance information is in our classified Annual Report.

We help our partners across the New Zealand Government to decide whether they can trust someone with access to classified information or resources.

Impact

All standard vetting assessment security clearance advice to government agencies regarding security clearance applications will meet the following timeliness standards.

Impact

By 30 June, the number of security applications waiting for vetting to proceed will be at the following levels:

Impact

Security vetting recommendations made to government agencies are consistent with PSR guidelines (including procedural fairness).

Impact

Oversight agencies are confident in NZSIS's legal compliance

Impact

The Minister responsible for the NZSIS receives best possible advice