New Zealand's CyberCure, a home-grown cybersecurity company, has recently landed a contract with Silver Fern Farms for the provision of Digital Identity & Access Management (IAM) specialist skills and services.

Recognised as New Zealand's premiere producer of 100% grass-fed beef, lamb, and venison, Silver Fern Farms tapped CyberCure as its preferred collaborator following a rigorous procurement process. This partnership will bolster Silver Fern Farms' digital workforce's identity governance and access management capacities.

CyberCure's Co-founder and CEO, Tessa Anton, elucidated the reasons behind this strategic partnership, putting them within a wider perspective. She stressed, “Good identity governance and a comprehensive view of access to digital assets are the foundation of a secure and efficient enterprise. Cloud-nativism and the surge of BYOD and hybrid working in the post-pandemic era make the governance and management of identity and access integral to business resilience, security, and proper operation."

Anton further highlighted how the tie-up can improve practical aspects, stating, “We can substantially cut back on the time required to onboard employees, guarantee that access is restricted to necessary resources at the right time, and tie in crucial compliance undertakings such as Health & Safety training and physical access into the identity and access lifecycle.”

“Silver Fern Farms perceives IAM as a key driver for its digital roadmap", Anton continued. "They possess a keen foresight of the future in which IAM plays a central part. We are thrilled to be picked as the specialist partner to assist in realising this crucial initiative."

As underscored in Crowdstrike's 2024 Global Threat Report, identity-based attacks accounted for 75% of all attack detections, while CyberArk stated that 99% of security decision-makers predict an identity-linked breach within the next year. This growing menace underscores the critical importance of robust Identity and Access Management.

Many organisations, however, are struggling to source and retain IAM skillsets and capabilities. A 2023 ISACA survey revealed that 71% of organisations had vacancies in security roles, underpinning IAM as the most crucial security skill set currently in demand.

The delivery of IAM projects is no simple task. “Specialist practitioners are rare in the New Zealand market,” says Anton. “Our experienced team of identity practitioners has the proven knowhow of manoeuvring IAM projects as business transformations, rather than mere technology deployments. We're delighted to merge our capabilities with the outstanding in-house team at Silver Fern Farms to help achieve the best possible results."

CyberCure, launched in Wellington in 2022, has swiftly found success in the Kiwi cybersecurity market. As its Co-founder and CFO, Julian Bruce-Miller, vouched for, “The cybersecurity market in New Zealand is well populated, but we identified an opening for top-tier consulting and services at a fair price point. Our success over the last 12 months bears this out."

Discussing the company's client-centred philosophy, he added, "We bank on the quality and satisfaction of our clients. Our founders are directly involved in service delivery and we strive to establish and maintain a close, transparent relationship with each client."

On this note, Bruce-Miller expressed elation about the partnership with Silver Fern Farms, which he remarked as one of the "iconic Kiwi brands." He said, "Our values are closely mirrored, and we couldn’t be more thrilled about assisting them throughout this digital transformation."