The Star: July 26, 2018

The Star Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Thursday July 26 2018 13
Opinion
Mayor targeted by cyber criminals
Mayor
Lianne Dalziel
I’M WRITING this week’s
column about cyber security,
after my experience on the
weekend.
Fortunately I had read a
friend’s tweet on exactly this
subject before I received my
‘ransom email’, otherwise I
might not have known what
to do. I’ve now reported it to
Netsafe NZ and CERT NZ, the
Government authority on cyber
security. They both knew about
it already and gave excellent
advice.
The ‘Fake-tortian Email Scam’
(which is what Netsafe NZ is
calling it) tells you it’s installed
malware on an ‘adult’ website –
I’ve never visited such a site.
It says unless money is paid
through Bitcoin, a video they’d
made would be emailed to my 13
friends. Really? Only 13 friends.
So I knew it was a scam from the
start. But it created the impression
that they could take control
of the person’s computer and use
the webcam. I believed that was
rubbish due to my friend’s tweet.
But it could be frightening to
some people.
SCAM: Lianne Dalziel has learnt first hand how important
it is to protect yourself from cyber criminals.
As a result of this happening,
I’ve learned a lot about how people’s
emails (and even passwords)
can get into this dark place.
Both Netsafe NZ and CERT
NZ have a lot of information
about the types of threats that
exist and how to keep safe. They
both referred to a site called
‘Have I been Pwned?’ – and sure
enough my personal email had
been compromised in three data
breaches over the past few years.
Naturally I’ve changed my
password several times since
then.
I was lucky this was just a
scam. It could have been serious.
And I’m lucky my work emails
are protected by a system that
blocked this email even coming
through. But it has been a timely
reminder about the need for
strong passwords and introducing
two factor authentication
personal emails. I’m onto it.
•If you want to ask Ms
Dalziel a question, email
mayor@ccc.govt.nz.
Put Reader’s Question in
the subject line
Politics
Nicky Wagner
‘Let’s encourage
the growth
of Canterbury’
ONE BENEFIT of being in
Opposition is that you have
more time to spend out in the
community.
I have been visiting businesses
and community organisations,
and hosting National MPs in
Christchurch. And while it has
been informative, it has also
been unsettling.
We have seen headline after
headline about slower projected
economic growth, and survey after
survey showing falling business
confidence. It is one thing
to read about it in the paper, it
is another to hear it from the
businesses and their employees
directly.
I wrote about the employment
reforms in an earlier column.
But aside from employment law
changes comes the changes to
immigration.
The Government is pulling
levers to limit immigration in
Auckland, alter their local housing
market and change usage
patterns. While their efforts are
having little impact in Auckland,
the consequences of such broad,
untargeted policies are being felt
hard in the South Island.
With Canterbury unemployment
around 4 per cent, and jobs
listed double that of 2007, Canterbury
is in need of more workers.
We cannot fill vacancies and
we need more people whether
they are domestic or international
migrants.
It a good proposition for New
Zealanders to move to Canterbury
where we have the capacity,
a lower cost of living, limited
congestion and house prices that
are half that of Auckland.
But there is a genuine concern
among businesses that we will
lose skilled people overseas as
these policies set in.
If our economy continues to
slow and younger generations
look abroad for employment, we
all lose out in the end – employer
and employee alike.
Let’s not do this. Let’s
encourage the growth of
Canterbury with adaptability
and innovation, and remember
that what is good for Auckland
may not be good for the rest of
the country.
•Wagner is a National
list MP for Christchurch
Central and spokeswoman
for Greater Christchurch
Regeneration
Christchurch’s third
Ice Cream Charlie Ken
Barnes has died aged 94
Raewyn Murray – He
would definitely have served
me and my mum. Mum would
never have the raspberry
because she thought he was
taking ice cream out to put the
raspberry in. I kept telling her
he moves it to the side but she
wouldn’t have a bar of it and
so never tasted the beautiful
raspberry. I don’t think it tastes
anywhere near the same as it
did then unfortunately. Lovely
it’s still going though.
Rachel Bayard – Very sad
I have many good memories
as a kid of my parents taking
us here for one of Ice Cream
Charlie’s famous ice creams.
They were the best.
Jody Spencer – RIP
Charlie. You absolute
champion. Thanks for all you
have done and joy you have
brought to so many over the
years.
A fluffy little dog has
been blamed for a drink
driver backing into the
sea near Duvauchelle
Gayle Elizabeth Lord – I
wish more people would use
a harness for their dog. This
protects the dog and driver.
I have seen dogs moving all
NEGLECTED: The former Sockburn Service Centre
building now sits vacant with windows broken and
covered in graffiti.
around the car and they can
become a deadly missile in an
accident.
Janys Rebecca Harrison
– Right, because the fact they
were drinking has absolutely
nothing to do with it?
Brian Tones – Some people
will blame anyone and anything
to try and get away from being
responsible for their own
actions.
Jo Garrick – I’m sure the
dog was driving as well and put
his paw on the accelerator too.
A bulldozer may soon
be put through the
earthquake-damaged
and graffiti-riddled
former Sockburn Service
Centre
Mark Peters – About time
to get it demolished. It has
taken far too long. Too close to
the Upper Riccarton Library
to build the full mega centre,
maybe the pool and recreation
centre, but difficult for Hornby
folks to access being the
opposite side of the extremely
busy Sockburn roundabout. So
not where I would like to see it
built, take a serious look at the
Sockburn/Wigram School site
that will be vacated at the end of
the year.
Heather Wilkins –
Commercial land, so yes the
land should be kept. Was so
handy having the Sockburn
service centre. Were do people
go now?
Erina Parks – So little
respect from the council for
the neighbours and local
community that they’ve had to
put up with this eyesore for so
long.
Telly Power – Why
has this taken so long? The
eternal question we ask about
everything in Christchurch.
Trevor Taylor – I wonder
how much the council has paid
in fence hire for this place?
Waste of money.
Heather Wilkins – About
time too.