NZ Cybersecurity Firm wins top international award as NZ security chief warns of rising cyber espionage threats

DEFEND recognised for world-leading cybersecurity while keeping focus on protecting New Zealand

In 2017, friends Nigel Everett and Wenzel Huettner were convinced advanced cybersecurity could be implemented more efficiently and effectively. So they started DEFEND to act as an accelerator, not a handbrake, for New Zealand organisations navigating an increasingly complex digital world.

They backed Microsoft’s cybersecurity software, which would soon become world-leading, and were the first cybersecurity firm in the world to achieve all four Microsoft’s Security Advanced Specialisations. Wenzel Huettner, now Chief Technology Officer, has been leading the technology strategy of DEFEND. He says that “effective cybersecurity has always been about enabling organisations to deliver their services securely and being clear that cyber resilience is a business challenge. The partnership between DEFEND and Microsoft has always been key to that by enabling businesses to securely embrace cloud, AI, and productivity services”.

Fast-forward to 2025 and DEFEND employs more than 140 staff across New Zealand, is the trusted cybersecurity partner for some of New Zealand’s most notable companies and government departments, and has just this week beaten some of the world’s largest IT and cybersecurity companies to be announced global winner of Microsoft’s Security Partner of the Year.

DEFEND won Microsoft’s Security Partner of the Year award after submitting a case study where it embedded top cybersecurity software for a NZ government department, including defensive agentic AI.

Chief Operating Officer Shiv Prasad has worked in the business from DEFEND’s early days and has travelled to Microsoft’s Ignite Conference in San Francisco where the awards are being announced. He says the key to DEFEND’s success is a continued focus on ensuring a cyber-resilient New Zealand.

“At DEFEND we’ve always had a kiwi mindset of doing what needs to be done to stay ahead of international cybercriminals here in New Zealand. It’s quite humbling to find out that while we’ve had our heads down we’ve been recognised as a global leader.”

Prasad says cybercrime is growing rapidly and is increasingly sophisticated, noting New Zealand’s Security Intelligence Service Chief recently urged the private sector to step up its cybersecurity as part of a broader national effort to safeguard the economy against increased cyber espionage attempts from foreign actors.

“Cyber criminals have budgets many times New Zealand’s annual GDP, and with the emergence of new technologies such as agentic AI, these threats are only increasing in frequency and intensity. These can cause a lot of strife for Kiwi organisations, in some cases more catastrophic than a natural disaster like an earthquake or flood.

“Without robust cybersecurity in place, businesses can unwittingly provide a back door for foreign cyber espionage agents seeking sensitive state data, so there is still a lot of work for DEFEND to do in the private sector.”

It’s not DEFEND’s first award, having won back-to-back national awards across 2020, 2021 and 2022. However, it is DEFEND’s first international award and is the only company in Australasia to have won it.

In 2022, DEFEND caught the eye of One NZ who bought a majority stake in the business and in 2023 deployed DEFEND’s sophisticated threat management system, SHERLOCK, across One NZ’s network to block spam texts and cybercrime attempts.

In February 2025, Greg Patchell was appointed as CEO. He says he is “incredibly proud of the team”.

“To be recognised on the global stage with this award is an incredible achievement not only for our team but for New Zealand. It proves that world-leading cybersecurity can be delivered right here and NZ organisations can work with a New-Zealand-based security partner that meets the highest international standards.”

He says that while DEFEND’s growing reputation has resulted in taking on international clients, they have always had a focus of ensuring a cyber-resilient New Zealand.

“The reason we started was to keep New Zealand safe from cybercrime and that’s not changing any time soon.”

ENDS