Auckland University of Technology
Private Bag 92006, Auckland 1142, NZ
T: +64 9 921 9999
www.aut.ac.nz
20 October 2023
[FYI request #24239 email]
Kia ora NZ Ci�zen
Re: OIA Request
Following your request under the Official Information Act asking for information regarding a recent
cyber security incident.
AUT can confirm that after the unauthorised access by a third party to our IT environment we took
immediate action to contain and isolate potentially affected servers and implemented additional
security measures in the hours after initial detection. We also engaged leading external cyber
security and forensic IT experts to assist with our investigation into the incident, which remains
ongoing. Students and staff were notified.
We have reviewed your request and decided to withhold information under:
Section 6 (c) -hat it would prejudice the maintenance of the law (including the prevention,
investigation, and detection of offences and the right to a fair trial).
Sec�on 9(2)(a) - Protect the privacy of natural persons (including the privacy of a deceased person).
Sec�on 9(2)(b) - Protect informa�on where the making available of the informa�on would disclose a
trade secret or would be likely unreasonably to prejudice the commercial posi�on of the person who
supplied or who is the subject of the informa�on.
Sec�on 9 (2) (ba) – Protect informa�on which is subject to an obliga�on of confidence or which any
person has been or could be compel ed to provide under the authority of any enactment, where the
making available of the informa�on would be likely to prejudice the supply of similar informa�on, or
informa�on from the same source, and it is in the public interest that such informa�on should
con�nue to be supplied; or would be likely otherwise to damage the public interest;
Sec�on 9(2) (c) - Avoid prejudice to measures protec�ng the health or safety of members of the
public.
Sec�on 9(2)(g) - Maintain the effec�ve conduct of public affairs through the free and frank
expression of opinions by, between, or to, Ministers, officers and employees of a Department or
members of an organisa�on, in the course of their duty, or through protec�on of any of them from
improper pressure or harassment.
Sec�on 9(2)(h) - Maintain legal professional privilege.
Sec�on 9(2)(k) - Prevent disclosure or use of informa�on for improper gain.
Sec�on 9(2)(e) – Avoid prejudice to measures that prevent or mi�gate material loss to members of
the public.
Having considered the public interest in the information being released, we have concluded that
the public interest does not outweigh the need to withhold the information.
Auckland University of Technology
Private Bag 92006, Auckland 1142, NZ
T: +64 9 921 9999
www.aut.ac.nz
Under section 28(1)(a) of the Official Information Act 1982, you may ask the Ombudsmen to
investigate and review our decision to decline to provide some of the official information to
you.
Ngā mihi
Alison Sykora
Director of Communications.