Reserve Bank responding to 'malicious attack' as data systems breached

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has today reported a breach to one of its data systems in what Governor Adrian Orr called a "malicious attack".

An urgent investigation has been launched after a third party file sharing service used by the bank to share and store some sensitive information was illegally accessed, the Reserve Bank said today in a statement.

Governor Adrian Orr said the breach has since been contained, and the matter is being treated with the highest priority.

“We are working closely with domestic and international cyber security experts and other relevant authorities as part of our investigation and response to this malicious attack. The nature and extent of information that has been potentially accessed is still being determined, but it may include some commercially and personally sensitive information,” Orr said.

“The system has been secured and taken offline until we have completed our initial investigations. It will take time to understand the full implications of this breach, and we are working with system users whose information may have been accessed."

Orr said the Reserve Bank's core functions "remain sound and operational.”