Datacom CISO Collin Penman talks about the growing gap between leadership and employees when it comes to cybersecurity, how cyber fatigue is leaving businesses in Australia and New Zealand more exposed, and why AI-powered threats are now keeping security leaders up at night.

Speaking to CIO's Cathy O'Sullivan, Penman dug into Datacom's State of Cybersecurity Index findings, and the reality is sobering. The data shows:

• AI-driven attacks now top the threat list for security leaders

• Security teams are burning out - 61% in NZ and 58% in Australia report cyber fatigue

• Leadership thinks staff are cyber-ready; most employees disagree

• 40% of employees use AI tools like ChatGPT, yet only 1 in 4 have read their company's AI policies

Penman cut through the hype, emphasizing:

• Generic annual security training doesn't work - role-specific, short modules do

• AI governance is lagging behind adoption, creating real vulnerabilities

• Security teams are still fighting the "Department of No" perception

The most telling point? The disconnect between what leadership believes about security readiness versus what's happening on the ground with employees.