Our History

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SSS - IT Security Specialists or SSS has been servicing government and corporate clients in New Zealand and internationally for more than 30 years. The world has changed a lot since we started in 1985, one thing that has remained constant is SSS's ability to anticipate the evolving cybersecurity threat landscape serving our clients with industry expertise and the best of breed technology. In July 2023, SSS split from its sister organisation, SecuritEase, to become a distinct and separate entity.

  • Launch of our first managed service specific to Governance, Risk and Compliance - C-RMaaS.

  • The SSS staff worked from home and successfully continued to provide support to our clients during the nationwide lockdown.

    Partnership with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to deliver the Malware Free Networks (MFN) threat feed.

    SSS accepted onto the All of Government Marketplace panel.

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  • Launched the SSS Security Threat Automation and Response Service (STARS).

    Major event COVID-19.

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  • Inaugural SSS cybersecurity events in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch.

  • SSS collaborates with Victoria University and Summer of Tech as part of an IT security internship programme.

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  • Launch of the Security Operations Unit.

  • Split our security consulting space into dedicated business units for our PKI, GRC, and security architecture services.

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  • The SSS service expands to include a security operations capability.

    Expansion into three of the major Australian banks.

  • SSS expands into space on Level 6 in the Petone head office (in addition to level 8).

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  • SSS and SecuritEase staff celebrate our 30th anniversary in Fiji.

  • Further expansion into Australia and internationally.

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  • SecuritEase now processes approximately 25% of Australian equities trades.

    SSS Security Consulting division accepted to the All of Government Security and Related Services Panel.

    SSS rebrands

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  • ClaimIT mobile app released.

    Formation of the SSS Security Consulting division.

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  • Profits from exports exceed profit from domestic sales for the first time (and the gap has widened year on year since).

    SSS takes home NZ partner of the year and Account Executive of the year awards for Sophos.

  • SecuritEase International Australia Pty. Ltd subsidiary formed.

    SSS wins Sophos partner of the year and Sales engineer of the year awards.

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  • More than 50% of all local government agencies are now clients of SSS.

    SSS new logo and website.

  • SSS moves to Level 8, 25 Victoria St (top floor of the new IBM Tower).

    SSS releases StripIT.

  • SSS wins Sophos partner of the year for the first of many.

    Major Event: GFC!

    SecuritEase live at the first Australian Site Tricom Equities Limited Australia.

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  • SecuritEase processing more than 50% of the trades on the NZX Equities Market.

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  • SecureIT released.

    First sale of IT Module through a partner, LDAPtIT to Netcon Consulting in Germany.

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  • LDAPtIT and RecallIT released.

    SecuritEase accredited by NZ Stock Exchange.

    First international sale of an IT Module to KPMG unlimited user count (over $100k).

    SecuritEase live at the first New Zealand site - Direct Broking (now ANZ NZ Securities).

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  • SSS moves to Level 4, 75 The Esplanade.

    SSS starts new software development branch - IT Modules.

    SSS releases first in house developed product, ReleaseIT which was first sold to Airways New Zealand.

    Software development branch StopIT released.

  • LDAPtIT and RecallIT released.

    September 2000 agency to agency secure email project tender - SSS works with New Zealand Government to implement a standard for secure email which became SEEMail.

    SSS rebrands first international sale of an IT Module to KPMG - unlimited user count (over $100k).

    SecuritEase live at the first New Zealand site - Direct Broking (now ANZ NZ Securities).

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  • New Branch - SecuritEase - Y2K hysteria leads SSS into the stock broking market sector with work for NZ Stock Exchange and ultimately leading to the development of the interface between NZSE and brokers.

  • Major Event: Asian financial crisis

    Mike Elston, William Tonkin, and Wayne Simpson became directors of Scientific Software and Systems Limited.

  • New branch - Security Products: SSS appointed as the New Zealand reseller of MIMEsweeper - first company in New Zealand to be offering content filtering for email.

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  • End of branch - SSS sells its industrial systems division to Oil Systems Limited.

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  • New branch: Formation of the SSS Industrial Systems Division to sell real time process operational data acquisition systems.

  • 1991-1994 New Zealand National Government's spending cuts generated the sharpest contraction in the postwar era.

    1991 - established a disaster readiness plan that saw each employee issued with a backpack full of survival gear including a bottle purified with "Puritabs".

  • SSS moves into Level 2, Autopoint House, 20 Daly Street, Lower Hutt.

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  • Major event: New Zealand stock market Crash Black Tuesday, October 20, 1987 July – First large contract with the Catchment Board Consortium formalised.

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  • SSS appointed as a specialist value added reseller by both Digital Equipment (DEC) and Hewlett Packard.

    First company beer purchased.

  • 12 November - Company formation (number 286883 ).

    Offices at Wellington Gas Company Building, Level 3, 64 Courtney Place Wellington.

    Primary business was custom software development for scientists and engineers.

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    Man with a vision