Waikato Business News | December 1, 2023

4 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS
DECEMBER 2023
Kiwi ads boom,
cyber fears loom
Celf celebrates
By BENJI ALLEN
New Zealand businesses are predicted
to spend $2.6 billion on digital
advertising in 2023 according
to global data analysis company Statista,
but chronic cybersecurity vulnerabilities
are creating worries for local experts who
encounter victims of scamming weekly.
The trend of Meta/Facebook users’
business profiles publishing ‘don’t
click the link, we’ve been hacked’
is becoming commonplace but
it is often just the beginning of
a long recovery process that can
cost even the most grassroots
small business time and money.
The founder of Waikatobased
digital advertising group
Unbound, Quentin Weber,
says most people aren’t doing enough
to protect themselves or their business.
“Kiwis are still using the same password
for their online accounts, this means
that if their email, Facebook or banking
information data becomes compromised,
that hacker has access to everything.
“The Waikato DHB had a severe breach
two years ago because someone clicked
something they shouldn’t have, which led to
a DHB-wide problem.”
Weber believes adding a bit of
inconvenience to accessing online services
and profiles, using two-factor authentication
(2FA) and a password manager, makes data
significantly more inconvenient for a hacker
to use.
“It might be our DIY lax attitude or that
we think New Zealand is so isolated we’re
not at risk, but these are the first and easiest
vulnerabilities to address. The hackers will
move on to easier targets, the idea is that
New Zealand becomes a hard target,” he
said.
The sophistication of data breaches is
likely to increase and Weber says when
things go pear-shaped it’s good to have the
right help. He warns businesses should use
Meta advertising services with caution.
“For the amount Meta makes
off New Zealand businesses, we
get very little support if one of
our clients has been hacked.
Unbound knows how to navigate
that ‘ecosystem’ but I can’t
imagine what it is like for a small
business [without support].”
Google, the largest digital
advertising platform, does
provide adequate reliable support which
is reflected in the continued growth of
businesses using their services, he said.
Google is expected to capture over $1.6
billion in digital advertising spending in
2023, Meta is expected to capture $110
million in social media spending.
The manager of Incident Response at
Computer Emergency Response Team NZ,
Cert NZ, Jordan Heersping, is part of the
team making cybersecurity easier to practice
for individuals and businesses.
“Based on the online incidents last year Cert
NZ has a new security awareness building
control, and it’s the most vital,” he said
Like Unbound, Cert NZ encourages 2FA and
a password manager and Heersping says
that small step can stop 60 to 90 per cent of
cyber attacks.
Benji Allen is a Wintec journalism student
Most of the class of 2023 Graduates – Standing, from left, Cam Corkill (BNZ), Steven Robertson
(Wel), Joanne Turner (Hamilton Christian Night Shelter), Tom Jackson (Prolife), Tania Pointon
(Seed), Kate Shaw (ConneXu), Denise Gemmell (Community Living), Heidi Gleeson (True
Colours), Carmen Jacobson (NZ Police), Anna King (Braemar), Mary Ngaronga (St Vincent
de Paul), Megan Austin (Golden Homes), Will Loughrin (NZ Police). Kneeling, Greg Carstens
(Hamilton City Council), Jenni Falconer (Emergency Consult), Hugo Parcell (Power Farming),
Johann Roozenburg (APL), Toby Cunliffe- Steel (Ride NZ) and Avon Polo (Surf Life Saving NZ).
The Community and Enterprise
Leadership Foundation (Celf) has
celebrated the graduation of another 21
leaders – taking the total to more than 150.
The latest cohort made up the eighth
Elevate Leadership Programme.
Graduate Will Loughrin (Waikato West
area commander for the New Zealand
Police) said the programme encouraged
self-reflection and the courage to ask
challenging questions.
“The class of 2023 and (Celf) as a
whole represent a remarkable group of
individuals poised to make a significant
impact on the future of Waikato,” he said.
Braemar Hospital’s Anna King Anna
described Celf as the “gold standard
leadership programme”.
Some learned about scientific research
and its application in leadership, while
others gained tools and knowledge
essential for their leadership journeys,”
she said.
“The ripple effect of this purpose-driven
leadership will be felt in workplaces,
boardrooms, sports fields, communities
and most importantly, in our homes, by
the next generation of leaders.”
Grayson Clements Senior Associate
Legal Executive takes the stress out
of conveyancing
ADVERTORIAL
Dealing with complex and challenging conveyancing,
transactions and structures is where Grayson Clements
Senior Associate Donna Gifford really shines.
Having worked in
the commercial
and accounting
sectors
before completing her
Legal Executive Diploma,
Donna has the skills to
unpick what Grayson
Clements’ clients really
want to achieve and then
make it happen for them.
Donna was recently
promoted to Senior
Associate at Grayson
Clements based in
Hamilton’s Innovation
Park.
The firm was
established in 2008
by directors Michael
Grayson and Andrew
Clements with the desire
to grow a firm that was
“a little bit different” in
its value-driven, clientcentric
approach. It now
employs a team of 28
across a wide range of
areas.
“A lot of clients come
to us because they don’t
have straightforward
transactions.
They have businesses
they need to manage
within transactions and
challenging financing
structures,” says Donna.
“We get a lot of
referrals because other
professionals have
looked at their case and
scratched their heads.
We have the skills to
design the solutions they
need, deliver results, and
protect what matters
most to our clients,” says
Donna.
Donna liaises with
clients, banks, mortgage
brokers, real estate
agents, insurance
companies, councils
and other law firms.
Her specialty is making
sure the right people are
doing the right jobs, at
the right time, to ensure
all transactions are
completed as smoothly
as possible and, most
importantly, on time.
She often deals with
It is challenging and
complex and it can
be stressful, but
we want to make
it as enjoyable as
possible for our
clients and take
that stress out of
the transaction for
them. We hope to
make them smile
and get a positive
outcome.
property developers
and commercial
conveyancing, but her
work also extends into
helping first home
buyers into their homes
as they navigate what
for many has become a
challenging process.
“The major trend we
are seeing is everything
has become more
involved. In the current
economic climate banks
have not been as willing
as they once were to
lend so their financing
structures can be a lot
more complex,” says
Donna.
Many first home
buyers find they need
financial help from
parents or other relatives
or are required to use
funds from elsewhere
resulting in a temporary
Donna Gifford
financing structure for
the first six to 18 months
of their loan periods,
says Donna.
She is also seeing
more complicated
building inspections and
buyers being choosier
about issues they
want remedied before
purchase as they are no
longer as hurried to get
into the market or grow
their portfolios.
“We are also finding
that people who
previously purchased
at a time in the market
where stock was turning
over quickly, have
subsequently discovered
issues like unconsented
work, or they need to
Grayson Clements – Design, Deliver, Protect
Grayson Clements was established in 2008 by lawyers Michael Grayson and
Andrew Clements, who both had a desire to grow a firm that focused on designing
solutions, delivering results and protecting people. Their work and reputation have
gained traction and their client base has grown organically to a point where they
now have a team of 26 staff across a range of practice areas.
refinance with increasing
interest rates.
We can design the
creative solutions
needed to help people in
such situations.”
Her role also takes
on an educational focus
as she walks clients
through the process and
helps them understand
why they are taking
certain actions and what
they will achieve.
Her team has many
years experience
between them and
getting clients into or
out of properties as
smoothly and stress
free as possible is what
drives her.