Andrew Hampton: SIS Director-General on threats to New Zealand, the public's role in identifying

New Zealand's Security Intelligence Service is reiterating the public's role in the fight against threats. 

The organisation is keeping our threat level at low, meaning attacks are realistically possible.  

SIS Director-General Andrew Hampton told Mike Hosking they're worried about young people radicalising online, geo-strategic shifts, and espionage.   

He says key to their response is the public knowing what to look out for and reporting it. 

Concerning behaviours include someone showing interest in terrorist attacks, identifying with an extremist cause, and supporting violence to further it.  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
New in sight. Meantime, though, from the SIS into our
terror threat, terror attack remains realistic possibility due to the
old favorites of geopolitical uncertainty and online radicals. Andrew Hampton,
of course, is the DG of the NZ SIS and
is with us good.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Morning morning mate.

Speaker 1 (00:13):
Are we too complacent?

Speaker 2 (00:16):
I think New Zealanders are increasingly aware that we're not
immune to national security threats, But I do think we
need to be constantly vigilant because that threat environment is
changing all the time.

Speaker 1 (00:28):
If you could show me everything you know, would I
freak out?

Speaker 2 (00:34):
Our Threat Environment report, I think provides a pretty good
overview of the types of things that we are seeing.
You know, we're increasingly worried about young people radicalosing online.
There is foreign interference happening in New Zealand from a
range of countries, and espionage is put in at risk
our prosperity, so there is a lot to be concerned

(00:59):
about it. The same time, key to responding to that
is the public just knowing what to look out for
and to take steps to respond.

Speaker 1 (01:06):
Do you rank them the three you mentioned, violent extremism,
foreign interference, espionage. Can you rank them in terms of
what we should be more worried about.

Speaker 2 (01:15):
In terms of nzsas's investigative effort, we're split about fifty
to fifty between those violent extremist threats and foreign interference
and espionage, although increasingly we're also doing work up in
the Pacific, both to understand what's going on, but also

(01:35):
to work with our specific partners to help them be
aware of what's going on so they can take steps
to mitigate the risks.

Speaker 1 (01:42):
Are they aware of what's going on? I mean, when
you sign an agreement with China, are you aware or
are you just taking the money.

Speaker 2 (01:49):
We've worked really hard over the last probably only a
year or eighteen months to try and provide more intelligence
to Pacific states. You know, a lot of the material
we deal with is quite classified, so we need to
find ways to share it with them. I do think
in the Pacific we are seeing this geostrategic competition playing out,

(02:13):
and some Pacific states see that as an opportunity and
think they can balance the risk. But they don't have
all the information. So part of our job is to
help give them better information.

Speaker 1 (02:23):
Have you turned anyone on that.

Speaker 2 (02:28):
I think we've had We've had quite a bit of success,
you know, there's been if it's for example, by foreign
states to establish what's called ground based space infrastructure up
in the region. So these are things to track satellites.
There are attempts to do it in New Zealand. We
stop that. We've shared that information with our Pacific partners

(02:48):
and they've been able to turn it off as well.
So that's a specific example where progress is being made
but the threats aren't going away.

Speaker 1 (02:54):
What's the line and how do you know between the
nasarus saying weird stuff at age twenty two on line
and the guy is actually going to do something to
me in downtown Auckland, Wellington or christ Judge.

Speaker 2 (03:05):
Look, as our report states, these violent extremist narratives online
are a real concern. The vast bulk of the people
who engage with these narratives aren't going to take violent action,
but a small number do have the intent and capability,

(03:25):
and that's why we need the public's help to identify
who are the individuals who show those signs of radicalization,
and we describe what that looks like in our report.
We've also done a bunch of work with teachers and
other people who engage with young people so they know
what those signs are.

Speaker 1 (03:44):
Do you have the tools you need?

Speaker 2 (03:47):
Look, we're fortunate in that the intelligence and security agencies
have over the last ten years had increases an investment,
We've had new legislation, but the world keeps changing, so
we're constantly talking with ministers about what are the types
of capabilities we need. You know, one of the real

(04:07):
strengths we have is the relationships we have with our
five Eyes partners. They have technical capabilities, access to intelligence
that we use every day to protect ourselves. But the
public are a big part of this as well, and
that's what the report's about, helping to raise the public's
awareness about these threats so they can both tell us
when they see stuff of concern, but also know what
steps they themselves can take.

Speaker 1 (04:28):
All Right, I appreciate the inside. Andrew Hampton from the
Sis this Morning. For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast,
listen live to news talks that'd be from six am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.