Field Notes, sourced research
Short, fully sourced research briefs on the AI questions Australian businesses actually face. Every important number is traced to its source, its status is clear, and the practical implication is written plainly.
Latest field note
App security, 6 minute read
An external review can find visible problems. Account permissions and private code need different access. This brief shows where each claim can be supported.
The library
Six more published briefsEach brief shows its subject, review date, source count and primary finding before you open it.
Public pages, headers and browser files can reveal specific problems. Testing separation between accounts needs authorised users; reviewing private implementation needs internal access.
pages and files support specific findings
Primary sources OWASP Web Security Testing Guide, OWASP ASVS, OWASP Code Review
Australian estimates run from 12% to 72%. The gap comes from different samples, definitions and levels of adoption, not one survey getting the market wrong.
of employing businesses reported using AI
Primary sources ABS, National AI Centre, RBA, auDA, Jobs and Skills Australia, Productivity Commission
Attackers still want passwords and valuable data. AI helps them find weak points, write malware and move through a compromised system faster.
of small businesses hold sensitive data
Primary sources ASD, auDA, QBE, Anthropic, Google, Microsoft
Veracode found models introduced a known flaw in 45% of tested generation tasks. Its July 2026 report shows security still trails function.
of tested generation tasks introduced a known flaw
Primary sources Veracode, GitGuardian, Snyk, Stanford, OWASP
The privacy and AI rules now landing in Australia, what they mean for businesses that handle customer data, and the numbers behind the new regime.
breaches notified to the OAIC in H1 2025
Primary sources OAIC, Privacy Act reform, DTA, WA PRIS
Most staff already use AI at work, often on personal accounts with company data, and most employers cannot see it. The scale, inputs and cost of shadow AI.
of AI users bring their own tools to work
Primary sources Microsoft, Cyberhaven, IBM, Jobs and Skills Australia, Josys
Many business AI pilots show no measurable return. The research on why, how staff really use AI, and what the few winners do differently.
of AI pilots show no measurable return
Primary sources MIT NANDA, Harvard Business Review, Stanford, BetterUp, Microsoft
On the desk
Next questions under reviewAI automation ROI for Australian SMBs
ResearchingThe AI fraud bill for Australian business
SourcingWhen AI screens your job applicants
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The standard
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