Microsoft to secure New Zealand’s democratic elections

By Elly Yates-Roberts on 13 February 2020

Microsoft will provide all New Zealand political parties and non-governmental organisations that conduct political analysis or education with free access to its AccountGuard security service ahead of the country’s upcoming general elections.

The service helps customers engaged in the electoral process with threat detection and provides guidance on improving cybersecurity practices.

AccountGuard was first deployed in the United States in 2018 to address the growing threats from sophisticated cyber campaigns working to influence political process in the US and Europe. It was later expanded to Canada, India, Australia and 22 European countries ahead of the EU elections in 2019.