Making Compliance a Strategic Business Driver With AI

Compliance programs can be more than tick-box exercises. When aligned with business strategy, cybersecurity awareness efforts become tools for improving continuity, profitability and risk management, said Pranit Anand, chief investigator at UNSW Business School.

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“Cybersecurity is a strategic issue, but unfortunately, it’s not treated that way,” Anand said. “We talk about profitability, we talk about all sorts of things, and there is an opportunity lost if we don’t bring cybersecurity in those planning conversations right from the top.”

To make compliance meaningful, organizations must integrate cybersecurity discussions into planning meetings and emphasize its direct connection to business outcomes. Many awareness programs fall flat because they’re developed by technical teams with limited training experience. “Most of them are cybersecurity professionals. Not many of them have education or people from training backgrounds developing those programs,” he said.

AI, however, opens new possibilities. “Even simple AIs like your GPT create case studies around cybersecurity within accounting, engineering or marketing,” he said. Personalizing content this way ensures relevance across departments and increases engagement.

In this video interview with Information Security Media Group, Anand also discussed:

• Why cybersecurity must be a board-level conversation;
• How tailoring programs to specific teams increases participation and value;
• Ways AI can support custom awareness content with real-world relevance.

Anand’s research bridges cybersecurity application and education, focusing on making cyber education accessible to diverse and underrepresented groups. His work aims to broaden understanding and responses to cyber threats and risks, fostering greater inclusivity in the field.