Three layers in combination. Policy — an Acceptable Use Policy that explicitly addresses AI tools. Technical — block public AI services at the firewall and via Microsoft 365 controls where appropriate. Substitute — give staff a sanctioned Copilot so they don’t need to use ChatGPT to save time.
The single most common AI risk in Australian SMBs right now isn’t a Microsoft Copilot misconfiguration — it’s well-meaning staff pasting business data into personal AI accounts to “save 15 minutes”. Banning AI tools doesn’t work (staff just hide it). Blocking without substituting drives staff back to personal phones with personal AI accounts. The only durable answer is policy + tech + replacement, all three.
(see above)
Step 2 (Foundation) of our AI Readiness Roadmap drafts the Acceptable Use Policy and deploys the technical controls. Step 3 (Pilot) gives staff the legitimate Copilot tool. The result: staff have a sanctioned alternative, and the business has the policy + controls to enforce it.
Want to talk through this in your specific business context? The first 30 minutes is free — phone or Microsoft Teams. Book a free 30-min scoping call →
