Canon Business Services launches AI security advisory

Canon Business Services has launched an AI and Security Advisory for organisations in Australia as businesses grow more concerned about how staff use artificial intelligence tools at work.

The advisory targets companies adopting AI faster than they are putting controls around it. It includes AI readiness assessments, workforce literacy programs and governance frameworks designed to reduce security risks tied to the day-to-day use of public AI tools.

The launch reflects a broader market shift as companies move from experimenting with AI to examining the operational and security consequences of using it at scale. In particular, businesses are grappling with how employees handle customer data, financial records and intellectual property when using third-party AI services.

Research cited from RMIT Online found that while most Australian workers use AI, fewer than one in 10 have advanced skills. Canon Business Services argues that this gap between adoption and understanding leaves organisations exposed to avoidable risks.

Readiness gap

One of the central issues is the use of public AI tools without internal oversight. Employees may use these systems to improve productivity, but in doing so can upload sensitive information beyond the view of corporate technology and security teams.

This creates new blind spots in data handling and governance. Canon Business Services also pointed to Mimecast research showing that up to 95 per cent of cyber security breaches involve human error, underscoring how strongly staff behaviour can shape an organisation's security profile.

Every AI integration can affect existing security policies by introducing new data pathways and links between systems. The advisory is designed to help clients identify those points early and set rules around acceptable use, data visibility and governance.

Rajith (Raji) Haththotuwegama, National Solutions Advisor, AI, Apps and Data at Canon Business Services, said the discussion around AI had changed.

"The honeymoon phase with AI is officially over. We're entering a great AI reset, where organisations are moving beyond pilots and asking harder questions about cost, risk, and real-world value. The challenge is no longer if they should adopt AI, but how to do it without exposing the organisation to crippling new threats. This readiness gap is the single biggest barrier to successful AI adoption in Australia today," Haththotuwegama said.

Security focus

Canon Business Services is positioning the advisory around the idea that security should be addressed at the start of AI projects rather than after deployment. The approach reflects a common concern among large organisations that AI adoption is often driven by business teams or individual staff before governance structures are updated.

For employers, the issue is not simply whether workers are using AI, but whether the organisation has the policies, training and technical controls to manage those tools. The advisory is intended to give organisations a clearer picture of where data is moving and what new risks are emerging as AI tools become part of everyday workflows.

The launch also forms part of a broader repositioning for Canon Business Services, which has been expanding its focus across cloud, managed IT, cyber security, data, AI and application modernisation. The company operates across Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines and sits within the Canon Oceania Group.

Luke Clark, Chief Executive Officer of Canon Business Services, said clients were looking for help linking AI decisions to security planning.

"Our clients trust us to see the bigger picture and navigate complex technology shifts with them. This advisory capability is a direct response to what businesses are asking for - a partner who can connect the dots between AI innovation and security resilience. We're investing in this capability to give our clients the confidence to adopt new technology safely and strategically," Clark said.

The announcement comes as boards and executives face pressure to show they can extract value from AI without creating new operational risk. For many Australian organisations, that is turning a technical experiment into a management challenge centred on governance, training and accountability.

RMIT Online's findings suggest the divide is not over access to AI tools, but over the judgement and technical literacy needed to use them responsibly. That leaves employers balancing encouragement of experimentation with the need to limit exposure from unsanctioned use.

Canon Business Services says the advisory is intended to address that gap by combining assessment, training and policy work in a single service. Its view is that AI adoption now depends less on enthusiasm for the technology than on whether businesses can control how it is used.

Mimecast's estimate that up to 95 per cent of cyber security breaches involve human error remains a stark measure of the challenge facing employers as AI spreads through the workplace.