News From the Silicon Team

20 hours ago
3 min read

June 2026

Here is our wrap up of what has been happening in Silicon's world. AI adoption and Cyber risk are top of mind for most businesses we talk to. The ever demanding operational requirements and business as usual tasks, are getting more complex so the ability for an IT team to find the time to focus on innovation like AI is a difficult one.

In this months newsletter we've included articles to help your awareness of the latest cyber threats, resources to help plan your AI adoption in a safe and secure way for your business.

Accelerating AI Cyber Threats

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) is Australia's corporate, markets, and financial services regulator.

If we assume that what is happening is Australia can be applied to NZ, ASIC provide solid cyber risk advice that is worth taking notice of.

Last month, ASIC publicly warned Australian businesses that cyber resilience urgently needs to improve as AI accelerates cyber threats, highlighting that cyber incidents are no longer just an IT issue, but a core governance and operational risk.

ASIC has warned that AI is accelerating cyber threats and exposing gaps in organisational readiness. The regulator is calling for an urgent uplift in cyber resilience, framing cyber risk as a governance and leadership issue, not just an IT problem.

The article is well worth a read and the link is below. It highlights the pace of change and the shift to when an attack happens rather than if. Here are my 3 key takeaways:

1. Refocus Cyber Risk on What Truly Matters

Its a great time to reassess any cyber plans and governance to ensure decision‑making, escalation, and investment are focused on today’s most critical and interconnected business risks, not legacy assumptions or control checklists.

2. Protect Critical Assets by Strengthening Core Security Fundamentals

Clearly identify the systems and data that matter most to your business and customers, then focus on reducing exposure by validating core controls, limiting access, and patching vulnerabilities at a pace that matches AI‑accelerated threats.

3. Assume Breach and Prepare to Respond

Design security and resilience on the assumption incidents will occur, rather than if they occur. Use layered defences, tested incident response and continuity plans, and active third‑party risk management to limit impact and recover quickly.

Read the Full Article Here

Microsoft Purview - A New Data Security Powerhouse in Microsoft 365

With the pressure to roll out AI tools, a key step is to make sure your data that can be searched by AI is secure and only accessed by those that should be able able to access it. We recently wrote a blog that explains how Microsoft Purview is becoming a core data security and governance capability within Microsoft 365. It gives organisations visibility and control over sensitive data as it flows across email, files, collaboration tools, and AI like Copilot.

Why this matters: without strong data governance, AI increases the risk of data leakage and compliance issues, while Purview enables businesses to adopt Copilot and AI confidently without slowing productivity.

Read the Full Article Here

Microsoft Training Spotlight

Learn how to turn Microsoft Copilot and AI into practical business tools by building simple, no‑code AI assistants that automate everyday tasks, improve workflows, and support teams across tools like Microsoft Teams, with a strong focus on responsible and secure AI use.

Microsoft Virtual Training Day: Create Agents in Microsoft Copilot Studio. June 18, 2026 3.30pm - 6.00pm

Online event & Free to attend

Microsoft Work Trend Index: What’s Really Changing at Work

2026 Work Trend Index Annual Report The Microsoft Work Trend Index is one of the more useful pieces of research Microsoft publishes each year, because it’s grounded in how people actually use Microsoft 365 at scale.

Agents, human agency, and the opportunity for every organization

The core message resonates with what we see across many customers, work isn’t inefficient because people aren’t trying hard enough. It’s inefficient because everyone's days are fragmented by meetings, messages, and constant context switching, which slows decision‑making and erodes focus.

Like any large vendor research, it naturally points toward Microsoft’s own solutions, particularly Copilot, but the underlying insight is useful and may help anyone evaluating their us of AI.

For leaders responsible for Microsoft 365 environments, this is useful reading because it highlights where friction is being created in day‑to‑day work, and why embedding AI into existing workflows (rather than adding more tools) could deliver better outcomes.

In short, even allowing for a Microsoft bias, the article offers a practical lens on modern work that’s relevant to anyone trying to get more value from the platforms they already own.

Read the Full Article Here