SYDNEY, July 26 (Reuters) - New Zealand said on Wednesday it would boost its cyber defences by setting up a lead agency to make it easier for the public and businesses to seek help during network intrusions. The government would bring New Zealand's Computer Emergency Response Team into its National Cyber Security Centre, which it said would help improve the response to cyber incidents. "The cyber security threats New Zealand faces are growing in scale and sophistication," Public Service Minister Andrew Little said in a statement. New Zealand has seen a rise in online break-ins recently prompting the country's central bank in May to propose collecting financial data on cyber incidents to better understand cyber risks in the financial sector. ($1 = 1.6067 New Zealand dollars)Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Sonali PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Persons: Andrew Little, Renju Jose, Sonali Paul Organizations: SYDNEY, New, National Cyber Security, Public Service, Smartpay Holdings, Zealand, Thomson Locations: New Zealand, Zealand, . New Zealand, Australia, Sydney