News From the Silicon Team
- May 25
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 3
June 2026
Here is our wrap up of what has been happening in Silicon's world. Cyber risk and managing AI adoption are top of mind for most businesses we talk to. The ever demanding operational requirements and business as usual tasks, continue to get 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.
Lessons from the Manage My Health inquiry
The Manage My Health inquiry has become a useful reference point well beyond healthcare. Its findings reinforce something we have been understanding for a while: digital trust now needs to be demonstrated, not assumed.
Across the inquiry and subsequent sector commentary, the issues were not traced to a single technical failure. Instead, they highlighted familiar challenges that many organisations will recognise, particularly when sensitive data is involved and platforms are delivered by third parties.
Trust now requires evidence
Policies, questionnaires, and contractual assurances are no longer enough on their own. Regulators are signalling an expectation that organisations can show how controls operate in practice, not just that they exist.
Accountability doesn’t stop at the vendor
The inquiry reinforced that responsibility remains with the organisation commissioning or relying on a platform. Outsourcing technology does not outsource risk or accountability.
Governance gaps amplify technical risk
Issues such as inconsistent control enforcement, limited monitoring, and unresolved known risks were allowed to persist because of gaps in ownership, oversight, and independent assurance.
The takeaway is a practical one. It is about strengthening governance, validating existing controls, and improving visibility across suppliers.
If your organisation needed to explain how sensitive data is protected across third‑party platforms, how clear and confident would that story be today?
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.
What’s New in Copilot, Chat & Agents
Join Microsoft's interactive 60-minute webinar to explore the latest innovations across Microsoft Copilot, Copilot Chat, and AI Agents. What You’ll Learn:
Copilot Cowork & Work IQ: Experience a new way of working with AI. Define your desired outcome, and Copilot Cowork orchestrates tasks across your tools, data, and agents. Powered by Work IQ, it brings conversational memory and advanced SharePoint reasoning into your daily workflows.
Productivity Across Microsoft 365: Explore enhanced agent capabilities across Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. Learn how multimodal inputs, including voice - enable faster, more intuitive content creation and next-generation productivity experiences.
…and more: Get a preview of what’s next and how to start applying these innovations in your workplace.
What’s New in Copilot, Chat & Agents June 18, 2026 4.00pm - 5.00pm
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.
Reach Out For A Chat
Have questions or want to find out more? Drop us a line and we’ll be in touch to organise a coffee or a quick call.
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