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🔐 AI and cloud race ahead as cybersecurity lags
Cybersecurity Trails AI Adoption, AI Agent Deployments Stall, Day-Zero Playbook Insights from Alex Podobnik
Aimply Team & Zack Tembi
September 01, 2025
Cybersecurity Trails AI Adoption, AI Agent Deployments Stall, Day-Zero Playbook Insights from Alex Podobnik
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Welcome to this week’s edition of CIOsurge!
This week:
Enterprises are racing ahead on AI and cloud adoption while cybersecurity lags, leaving identity and quantum-era gaps unaddressed.
AI agent deployments remain limited to just 11% of enterprises as governance and security risks hold back scaling.
Alex Podobnik shares a “day-zero” playbook for legacy shops: start small, standardize lightly, and expand only after proving success.
Let’s make this week a game-changer.
Stay sharp. Stay ahead.
💡 Guest Expert Insights: Alex Podobnik
🧪 A Day-Zero Playbook for Legacy Shops
Another strong takeaway from my conversation with Alex Podobnik was his advice for companies starting from scratch: don’t boil the ocean. He recommends onboarding one or two net-new projects onto a thin internal platform and using them as fast feedback loops. You learn what works before asking the rest of the org to migrate.
Standardize just enough: a small stack, basic templates, and a clear path from PR to production. Keep the surface area small so you can iterate quickly on gaps and friction.
As those paths harden, you’ll know which legacy apps to migrate, which to sunset, and which to leave alone. Experiment first, mandate later.
🔐 AI and cloud race ahead as cybersecurity lags
A Unisys report shows enterprises accelerating AI and cloud adoption despite major cybersecurity gaps. While 78% plan to increase generative AI spending, only 45% deploy managed detection tools, and just 42% use identity and access management. Nearly 71% admit their defenses can’t withstand post-quantum threats, leaving critical vulnerabilities exposed as innovation outpaces protection.
We can’t keep bolting AI onto fragile security frameworks and expect no fallout. Identity-based breaches remain a top attack vector, yet too many organizations delay zero-trust, IAM, and post-incident readiness. Without stronger governance, every AI integration expands the blast radius for attackers.
CIOs should rethink sequencing: before scaling AI pilots, invest in security foundations that can withstand quantum-era risks and cloud-driven complexity. Failing to align innovation with resilience isn’t just a technical oversight—it’s a strategic one that could cost far more than the AI itself.
- Zack Tembi
🛠️ AI agent adoption stalls amid governance and security hurdles
Despite growing interest, only 11% of enterprises have fully deployed AI agents, according to KPMG. CIOs at companies like PepsiCo and Lowe’s are cautious, citing governance gaps, technical immaturity, and security risks. Enterprises are focusing on internal pilots, guardrails, and upskilling while waiting for clearer standards before scaling deployment.
The promise of AI agents is massive—autonomy, productivity gains, and competitive differentiation—but without robust governance, the risks outweigh the rewards. From security vulnerabilities to compliance pitfalls, CIOs must design frameworks that control what agents can access, decide, and execute before scaling adoption.
For IT leaders, now is the time to experiment, not overcommit. Sandbox testing, cross-functional guardrails, and active employee engagement will help organizations build confidence while the tech matures. Enterprises that balance caution with innovation will be best positioned to lead when agentic systems become enterprise-ready.
- Zack Tembi
🗞️ At A Glance
💡 CIO Spotlights
Ardent Mills appoints Ryan Kelley as CIO to lead tech strategy
Ryan Kelley joins Ardent Mills as CIO, tasked with driving IT innovation, security, and efficiency across the business.
Previously CIO at Par Pacific Holdings, he led enterprise modernization, cybersecurity, and digital transformation initiatives.
CEO Sheryl Wallace praised Kelley’s vision and leadership as key to unlocking growth and enhancing data-driven decision-making.
AMERICAN SYSTEMS promotes Srinivas Rautwar to CIO
Srinivas Rautwar steps into the CIO role at AMERICAN SYSTEMS, succeeding longtime IT leader Brian Neely.
With over 25 years in IT, Rautwar brings experience from IBM, PwC, and Cognizant, along with 18 years at AMERICAN SYSTEMS.
He’ll focus on AI, machine learning, cybersecurity, and compliance while driving enterprise-wide tech strategy.