Think backups will save you from ransomware? We pull back the curtain on how modern extortion really works, why downtime drags on for weeks, how reputational damage multiplies the cost, and where legal obligations kick in long after systems are back online. From there, we dig into the new reality of MFA: the gaps left in non‑Microsoft apps, fatigue attacks that turn push prompts into an open door, and adversary‑in‑the‑middle kits that steal tokens and skip MFA entirely. The fix is clear and achievable: move to phishing‑resistant MFA with hardware keys or passkeys, and bring your SaaS ecosystem under SSO and policy.

Shadow IT and SaaS sprawl are the quiet risks most teams underestimate. Sales, marketing and developers adopt brilliant tools on free plans, often outside governance and logging. We share a simple approach to discover what’s in use, standardise on enterprise features, and set guardrails that protect data without slowing people down. AI sits at the centre of this shift. Staff are already using it, so we talk through practical policies, training, and why a paid, enterprise-grade platform is worth it for privacy and productivity. If you’re building bots or agents, you’ll hear how prompt injection bypasses guardrails, why targeted AI red‑teaming matters, and how to scope projects small to avoid the 95% failure trap.

Regulation is rising too. We walk through the Notifiable Data Breach scheme, the SOCI Act for critical infrastructure, and sector standards for finance plus what “defensible position” really means for directors. Documentation, rehearsed response plans, and board‑level ownership turn abstract risk into action. Our aim is to give leaders a concise, workable plan: migrate to phishing‑resistant MFA, map and secure your SaaS supply chain, adopt safe AI with clear rules, and build evidence you can stand behind.

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