Cyber investment rises as AI puts resilience to the test

Australian organisations are preparing to spend more on cybersecurity, but investment alone is not enough to keep pace with a changing threat landscape. 

PwC’s 2027 Global Digital Trust Insights reveals that 83% of Australian security and finance leaders expect their cyber budgets to increase, yet only 38% of respondents strongly agree that cyber risk is a standing item on their organisation’s board agenda. 

The survey captures the views of 3,934 business and technology leaders across 71 territories, including 128 Australian respondents, on the cybersecurity challenges and opportunities they anticipate over the next 12 months.  

AI brings opportunities and questions of trust 

AI remains Australia’s leading cyber investment priority. However, PwC finds that Australian organisations are placing greater emphasis on automation and operational efficiency than on some front-line detection capabilities. 

There is also caution about how much autonomy AI agents should have in cyber defence. Australian respondents identify reliability and maturity of AI technology (48%), alongside accountability, explainability and liability (47%), as the biggest barriers to increasing that autonomy. 

The findings suggest that adopting AI and trusting it to act are separate challenges. Leaders should consider not only what the technology can do, but also how decisions are overseen and who remains accountable. 

Resilience extends beyond the organisation 

Australia’s response also places a strong emphasis on critical infrastructure and supply chains. Half of Australian respondents are prioritising changes to critical infrastructure location, resilience and redundancy in response to the geopolitical landscape. Vendor and third-party supply-chain risk management is also a priority for 50%. 

Supplier security is becoming more contractual: 49% of Australian respondents plan to tighten contractual security requirements over the next 12 months, compared with 39% globally. 

Together, these findings point to the importance of looking beyond internal systems when planning for disruption, including the suppliers and infrastructure on which an organisation depends. 

Turning investment into connected capabilities 

PwC’s Australian findings highlight an opportunity to bring governance, data protection, AI adoption and operational resilience into a more connected approach. 

For Melbourne leaders reviewing their priorities for the year ahead, useful starting questions include whether cyber risk receives regular board attention, whether AI has clear accountability and oversight, and whether resilience planning adequately considers critical suppliers. 

The challenge is not simply to spend more. It is to ensure that investment supports trusted cyber capability and helps organisations prepare for an increasingly complex digital environment. 

Explore the full 2027 Global Digital Trust Insights 

Discover PwC’s Australian findings and C-suite playbook to explore what the research means for your organisation’s cybersecurity priorities. 

Download the report