New Zealand treasury website hacked on eve of budget

Wellington, May 29 (IANS) Ahead of its much speculated "well-being budget" scheduled on Thursday, hackers stole crucial information from New Zealand's Treasury website.Someone made more than 2,000 unauthorised attempts that appeared to be directed at Budget-related information, nzherald.co.nz reported on Wednesday, adding that Treasury Secretary Gabriel Makhlouf confirmed the hack.While it was not clear whether the hack had come from within New Zealand or outside, Makhlouf said that would form part of the police investigation.According to a report in the BBC, New Zealand's main opposition party, which leaked details of the budget two days ahead of schedule on Tuesday, has denied hacking into the government's computer systems.The National Party said it got the information legitimately.National Party leader Simon Bridges accused Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's government of conducting a "witch-hunt" to cover up its embarrassment, said the report."There has been no hacking under any definition of that word," Bridges was quoted as saying.Dubbed the "well-being" budget, the upcoming budget is expected to focus the country's spending on areas beyond economic growth and to prioritise issues like mental health, child poverty and domestic abuse.The National Party, which released partial details on Tuesday, derided it as having "no substance".
--IANS gb/mr