MIL Email Publisher (NZ)

New research finds cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting the trusted digital experiences Kiwis depend on, rather than relying on obvious malware or technical exploits.

Auckland, July 17, 2026 – As New Zealanders move more online in a cold winter, attackers are moving with them, closer to the trusted parts of digital life.  Gen (NASDAQ: GEN) today published its H1 2026 Threat Report to help people understand what cyber threats are emerging and what risks are shaping digital life today. A common thread runs through the report: attackers are exploiting digital trust. Not only are they sending malicious links or dropping malware, they are also abusing context, sessions, workflows, brands, updating systems, advertising platforms and delegated authority.

Trust Has Become the New Attack Surface

The Threat Report's central finding is a shift in how attacks work. The most effective threats in the first half of 2026 did not rely on technical exploits or obvious deception, they succeeded because they were hard to distinguish from normal digital life. Scams arrived through a hotel booking platform, referencing a real reservation. WhatsApp accounts were compromised not through a password breach, but by tricking users into approving an attacker's browser as a linked device. Fraud moved through real, verified financial accounts because the people owning those accounts had been recruited through social media with offers of quick cash. And AI agents, running with permissions the user had already granted, were empowered to execute a reverse shell.

“The most effective attacks in the first half of 2026 didn't look like attacks,” said Vita Santrucek, Chief Technology & Development Officer at Gen. “They arrived through booking platforms, family message threads, software update channels and AI agent workflows, all places people already trust. As attackers blend into everyday digital experiences, protection has to move closer to the moments where confidence is earned, exploited or broken.”

Across scams, identity breaches, and privacy violations, the pattern is the same: the attack moved inside trusted systems before the danger became visible.

A Cold, Wet Winter, and Where Kiwis Shop

One of the fastest-growing threats in New Zealand is the e-shop scam, up 87% in the first half of the year, likely because people spend more time indoors and shopping moves online when it’s cold and wet outside. Fake online stores are now built so well they are almost impossible to tell from the real thing, and the moment you enter your payment details, your card information goes straight to the scammer.

“Your guard can slip when you're scrolling and shopping from a warm room,” says Mark Gorrie, VP APAC at Norton. “A price that's too good, a shop name you've never heard of, and a message tugging at your emotions to rush you. If you feel any of those, stop right there. Rather than following a link straight from an ad or a social post, search the shop's name and check it's a real business. That small extra step prevents most of the harm.”

And Handing Over the Device Itself

Another fastest-growing threat of all in New Zealand is malicious remote access (MRA), up 73%.

MRA is where an attacker gains the ability to control your device from afar. They don't just steal information; they take over the computer or phone itself. In many cases, victims grant that access with their own hands, following a message that says, “your computer is infected” and giving control to someone posing as support. Tech support scams rose 27% in New Zealand as well, and the two are closely linked.

Furthermore, Scam-Yourself attacks, where following a tutorial promising free downloads, cracked software or fixing a technical issue installs the malware yourself, climbed 45%.

Fastest-Growing Threats in New Zealand (H1 2026)

• E-shop scams: up 87%
• Malicious remote access (MRA): up 73%
• Droppers: up 56%

A dropper causes little direct harm itself but quietly delivers and installs other malware such as ransomware or spyware, slipping past initial antivirus defences.

• Trojans: up 55%

A Trojan is malicious software disguised as a legitimate program.

• Scam-Yourself attacks: up 45%.

Threat Report Highlights (Global)

Gen's telemetry from H1 2026 shows the trend activity across key threat areas over the last six months globally.

Key findings about growing threats include:

·       A 387% increase in government impersonation scams – showing criminals are increasingly exploiting trust in public institutions to steal money and information.

·       A more than 454% increase in family impersonation scams, while separate “GhostPairing” activity showed how WhatsApp’s linked-device feature can be abused to gain persistent access to an account and allow people to impersonate loved ones.

·       More than 304 million scam-ad impressions identified across the EU and UK in less than one month, underscoring how easily fraudulent ads can reach people.

·       Norton and LifeLock breach notification alerts with attributed lead sources increased 628.1% up to 3.3 million, with more than 10 million breach notifications sent in total – proving more people’s personal information is being exposed in data breaches.

·       More than 15.7 million breached records containing email addresses identified, giving cybercriminals more opportunities to target consumers with phishing, scams, and account takeover attempts.

·       734% increase in bank account (depository) activity alerts – further evidence of the rapid financial exploitation that follows a breach.

Key findings about blocked attacks and defences include:

·       114.2 million e-shop scam attacks blocked, up 109% – highlighting the growing risk of fake online stores targeting shoppers.

·       20.3 million tech support scam attacks blocked – reflecting continued attempts to trick people into giving scammers remote access to their devices or financial information.

·       1 million web skimming attacks blocked, up 212% – showing how attackers continued to target checkout flows where users already expect to enter payment details.

·       Roughly 1.9 billion tracking attempts blocked during H1 2026 – demonstrating the scale of online tracking that can erode consumer privacy.

The report also identifies agentic AI as an emerging security frontier. As AI systems gain the ability to browse, install software, access files, connect to services and take action on behalf of users, attackers are increasingly targeting the permissions and trust these systems rely on. Early telemetry from Sage, Gen's agentic security platform behind features like Norton and Avast’s AI Agent Protection, found the most common high-risk AI agent behaviours involved:

1. Trying to run dangerous system commands

2.     Attempting to open a remote command channel, which could let an attacker control the system

3.     Downloading and running code from the internet

4.     Reading credential files without authorisation

5.     Trying to create persistent remote access, such as adding a trusted SSH key

6.     Trying to override the agent’s instructions.

The full Gen H1 2026 Threat Report is available at https://www.gendigital.com/blog/insights/reports/threat-report-h1-2026 

About Gen

Gen (NASDAQ: GEN) is a global company dedicated to powering Digital Freedom through its trusted consumer brands including Norton, Avast, LifeLock, MoneyLion and more. The Gen family of consumer brands is rooted in providing financial empowerment and cyber safety for the first digital generations. Today, Gen empowers people to live their digital lives safely, privately and confidently for generations to come. Gen brings award-winning products and services in cybersecurity, online privacy, identity protection and financial wellness to nearly 500 million users in more than 150 countries. Learn more at GenDigital.com.

Responding to reports that more than 500 people are feared dead after two boats carrying mostly Rohingya refugees capsized off the coast of Myanmar, Amnesty International’s Myanmar Researcher Joe Freeman said:

“These reports are a heartbreaking reminder of the increasingly desperate choices facing many Rohingya today. People do not risk their lives at sea unless the alternatives are even more unbearable. Decades of persecution, statelessness, conflict and severe humanitarian hardship have left many with nowhere safe to turn.

“These sea journeys are always perilous, but the fact that they are happening during the monsoon season when sailing conditions are rougher than normal further highlights the risks people are willing to take to escape the dire conditions in both the Bangladesh refugee camps and in the Rohingya homeland in Myanmar’s Rakhine State.

“In Bangladesh, Rohingya families lack aid, education and proper shelter, while also facing forced recruitment by armed groups there and kidnapping for ransom by criminal gangs, trends that Amnesty International has documented through past interviews with parents and young people. In Myanmar, most of Rakhine State is now under the control of the Arakan Army, which Amnesty International and others have accused of using the Rohingya for forced labour reinforcing the apartheid-like conditions created by the Myanmar military.

“Therefore it is not surprising that these tragedies at sea continue to happen, and they only emphasize the need for durable solutions both in Bangladesh and in Myanmar. Governments across the region must strengthen search-and-rescue efforts, ensure timely access to protection for those seeking safety and work together to end the cycle of neglect that continues to put Rohingya lives at risk.”

“This should also send a message to the Bangladesh authorities and the international community to prevent repatriation. Conditions in Rakhine State are not viable for safe and dignified returns as people continue to flee the place the Bangladesh government wants to forcefully repatriate them to.”

Background

More than 500 people, believed to be predominantly Rohingya refugees, are feared to have died after two boats reportedly disappeared or sank off Myanmar’s coast in late June and early July.

According to UN agencies, the vessels left Rakhine State carrying people fleeing conflict, persecution and worsening humanitarian conditions, including some who had travelled from refugee camps in Bangladesh.

The reported incidents come amid dangerous monsoon-season sea conditions and highlight the continued risks faced by Rohingya who undertake perilous journeys in search of safety.

“One of the best transitions both the exercise industry and the public have made together over the last two decades has been moving from 'exercise for looks' to 'exercise for health',”

“Your body isn't a trend,”

“Exercise should never be about chasing the latest social media ideal. It should be about improving your health…”

From worrying about “runner's waist” to avoiding the gym for fear of getting “bulky”, the latest wave of social media fitness trends is encouraging young women to question some of the healthiest forms of exercise.

Exercise New Zealand says the growing popularity of appearance-driven fitness advice on platforms like TikTok and Instagram is undoing years of progress in helping people view exercise as something to improve their health, not simply the way they look.

ExerciseNZ Chief Executive Richard Beddie says one of the biggest achievements over the past two decades has been changing the conversation around why people choose to be active.

“One of the best transitions both the exercise industry and the public have made together over the last two decades has been moving from 'exercise for looks' to 'exercise for health',” says Beddie.

“For the vast majority of New Zealanders that's still the case today. Health and mental wellbeing are consistently the two most common reasons people exercise. But these latest social media crazes buck that trend, often driven by online influencers with little or no formal training in exercise, health or wellbeing.”

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One of the newest trends, dubbed “runner's waist”, claims that regular running will create a wider, boxier waist because of visible oblique muscles. Another, “cortisol face”, suggests that everyday exercise causes facial puffiness through elevated stress hormones. At the same time, the long-standing myth that women who lift weights will become “too bulky” continues to discourage many from strength training.

ExerciseNZ says these claims are not supported by scientific evidence.

Recent research highlighted in Healthline has debunked the “runner's waist” myth, showing that while running activates the core, it does not provide the heavy resistance needed to significantly increase the size of the oblique muscles. Instead, running develops endurance, cardiovascular health and core stability, not a wider waist.

Likewise, medical experts out of Ohio State Wexner Medical Center say “cortisol face” is not a recognised medical condition. While rare disorders that cause abnormally high cortisol levels can change facial appearance, everyday exercise and normal life stress do not create the dramatic facial changes portrayed across TikTok and Instagram.

The belief that women will become “bulky” simply by lifting weights is another persistent misconception. Research also consistently shows that building substantial muscle mass requires years of progressive resistance training, carefully managed nutrition and, in many cases, favourable genetics. For most women, strength training develops strength, bone density, confidence and functional fitness, not an exaggerated physique.

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Beddie says the greatest concern isn't the trends themselves, it's the impact they're having on how young women think about themselves. “We've gone from celebrating what our bodies can do to worrying about whether our waistline or face fits the latest TikTok trend. That's a step backwards.” He further adds;

“The irony is that social media is making people fear the very activities that improve their health. Running, strength training and regular physical activity reduce the risk of chronic disease, improve mental wellbeing, build confidence”

ExerciseNZ is encouraging New Zealanders, particularly young women, to be cautious about taking health advice from social media personalities whose content is designed to generate clicks rather than provide evidence-based guidance.

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“Your body isn't a trend,” says Beddie.

“Exercise should never be about chasing the latest social media ideal. It should be about improving your health, building confidence, feeling strong and giving yourself the best chance of living a long, healthy life. That's something no viral trend should ever take away.”

Social media can be a great source of motivation, but it shouldn't replace qualified advice. If you're starting a new exercise programme or feeling confused by conflicting information online, talk to someone registered with the NZ Register of Exercise Professional (REPs) – who operate a searchable database @ www.reps.org.nz. They'll help you build a plan based on your body, your goals and the science, not whatever happens to be trending that week.

Researchers at the University of Auckland are investigating whether zoning reform can advance educational equity, using Auckland as a case study.

New research from Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland will examine whether zoning reforms can improve educational equity.

The study, funded by a Spencer Foundation Racial Equity Research Grant, will focus on migration patterns following 2016 upzoning changes, which saw Auckland rezone three-quarters of its residential land for medium- and high-density housing.

The project will build on preliminary research indicating that the 2016 reforms enabled low-income households to move to higher socio-economic neighbourhoods.

Principal investigators Dr Sam Stemper and Associate Professor Ryan Greenaway-McGrevy say the grant will enable data-intensive research linking zoning to residential mobility and children’s access to educational opportunities.

“Auckland’s 2016 zoning reform created a rare large-scale experiment that allows us to study how housing markets shape access to neighbourhoods and schools,” says Stemper.

“While upzoning is often discussed as a tool to improve housing affordability, its potential impact on educational equity has received much less attention.”

Zoning regulations, says Greenaway-McGrevy, often reinforce disparities by limiting high-income neighbourhoods to expensive detached homes, effectively excluding lower-income families.

“Removing such barriers through upzoning to allow more affordable housing types like townhouses or apartments offers a potential tool to improve educational access.”

Until Auckland's zoning reforms, no city had upzoned enough residential land to allow researchers to test whether large-scale zoning changes could meaningfully influence educational opportunities.

The research team, which also includes Business School doctoral candidate Jia Liu, will use comprehensive data and quantitative geospatial analysis to track family migration patterns and assess whether school-aged young people gained access to higher-performing schools.

Imperans Q2 Report, State of Workplace Drug Use from TDDA

AUCKLAND, New Zealand, 16 July 2026 – Cocaine use is on the rise across New Zealand workplaces. That’s a key finding of the latest Imperans Report, a quarterly analysis of drug use in the workplace prepared by The Drug Detection Agency (TDDA), New Zealand’s largest workplace drug testing provider.

The Imperans report empowers New Zealand employers to engage in proactive workplace risk management, it provides them with an analysis of drug and alcohol usage trends, combining results from across the country.

Growing cocaine use is not the only workplace concern. Among all positive results across New Zealand, compared with year-on-year (YoY) substance detections are as follows.