CFOs’ biggest challenge isn’t cyber threats or AI: it’s connecting the dots 

There’s no shortage of advice telling CFOs what they need to do next. We’re expected to adopt AI, prevent fraud, manage compliance across jurisdictions and deliver greater efficiency, all without adding headcount or unnecessary technology. 

These are all major priorities, sure. But maybe the biggest challenge is that none of these priorities exists in isolation. 

Automating invoice processing affects procurement, accounts payable and IT, while introducing an AI tool can improve productivity but raise questions about data access and accountability. Even a properly approved payment can end up in the wrong account if the information behind it has been compromised. 

As CFOs, we’re expected to understand these connections and balance opportunity with risk. However, these questions require multi-disciplinary expertise that no single individual or function can provide, requiring time and resources to form nuanced solutions to multi-faceted challenges. 

That’s one reason we’re bringing finance leaders, economists, banks, ethical hackers, law enforcement, cybersecurity specialists, insurers and technology providers together in Sydney this November for Eftsure’s On the Defense Summit. 

Whether or not you can attend, the broader principle is worth considering: as finance becomes more connected, making good decisions increasingly depends on understanding how its different parts affect one another. 

AI is changing finance faster than our operating models 

The pressure to adopt AI is real, and so is the opportunity. Gartner’s 2026 CFO research found that only 36% of CFOs were confident in their ability to drive enterprise-wide AI impact, while 44% expressed confidence in accelerating AI adoption within finance. 

That gap between ambition and confidence will be familiar to many finance leaders. We’re expected to identify where AI delivers measurable value, integrate it into existing processes and justify the investment. At the same time, we need to protect sensitive financial information, maintain accountability for automated decisions and ensure existing controls can keep pace. 

Of course, automating a process doesn’t necessarily improve it. If the underlying data is unreliable or the process contains gaps, automation can simply accelerate (or exacerbate) the problem.  

Consider a typical payment: procurement manages the vendor relationship, accounts payable processes invoices, treasury moves the funds and IT oversees the systems connecting everything. A compromised vendor record can lead to fraud, while a duplicate invoice can cause financial loss without criminal involvement. Automated workflows can accelerate approvals but also introduce new questions about oversight and data exposure. 

Each team may be doing its job well, but risk often emerges in the gaps between their systems and responsibilities. Adding another disconnected tool isn’t necessarily the answer. 

Collective intelligence makes better decisions possible 

The information CFOs need rarely sits in one place. Cybersecurity specialists understand how attackers exploit technology, while banks recognise payment patterns that individual businesses may not see. Investigators understand how fraud schemes develop, and economists offer insight into the conditions shaping business decisions. 

ERP specialists can explain where automation creates efficiencies or introduces dependencies, while insurers can clarify the financial consequences of risks businesses may have assumed were covered. Other CFOs can share what happened when they put new systems, controls or strategies into practice. 

That’s often where the most useful lessons emerge. Hearing what worked, what failed and what someone would do differently can be more valuable than another presentation about what organisations should do. For example, a conversation with an ethical hacker might expose a weakness in an automated process, while an ERP specialist could identify how to address it without disrupting existing workflows. Another finance leader might explain how they implemented a similar change. 

The value isn’t simply in hearing different perspectives. It’s understanding how they connect and applying those lessons to our own decisions. 

At Eftsure, we’ve long believed in the principle of collective security: businesses become better equipped to protect themselves when they can draw on intelligence beyond their own organisation. 

That principle helped shape our approach to payment verification. A wider network of verified information can help participating businesses identify risks they might otherwise miss. 

But collective intelligence has value well beyond fraud prevention. It can help CFOs understand where AI is delivering measurable returns, how to manage sensitive data and how to strengthen financial processes without adding unnecessary complexity. The same thinking applies to payment integrity. It’s not enough to know that a transaction has been approved. We also need confidence that we’re paying the right person or business, and that the amount is correct. 

The strength of shared intelligence and community 

Most CFOs already understand the importance of drawing on expertise beyond finance: the difficulty is finding the time and opportunities to hear from the people working on different aspects of the challenges we face. 

We know that, and it’s driving Eftsure’s On the Defense Summit. On 19 November, we’re creating that opportunity by bringing together a huge range of specialists from organisations like CyberCX, MYOB and the NSW Police. It’s an opportunity to exchange experiences, hear perspectives that don’t necessarily feature in our everyday work and make connections that extend beyond the event itself. 

Because the next phase of finance transformation won’t be defined by how quickly we adopt AI alone. Instead, it will depend on how well we connect our systems, our expertise and our decisions. 

On the Defense takes place on 19 November 2026 at Ilumina in Sydney. Explore the agenda and register to attend.