Posted on by Clem Maloney

AI-Driven Cyber Security Uplift for a Not-for-Profit

Description

AI-Driven Cyber Security Uplift for a Not-for-Profit

Sector: Not-for-Profit
Service: IT Resourcing & Delivery Oversight
Objective: Insourcing a cyber security consultractor to oversee the design and implementation of an AI-driven cyber security uplift, addressing escalating threats and strengthening monitoring capability.

Context

A large Australian not-for-profit employing more than 1,200 staff faced growing cyber risk. Its IT Director recognised that traditional log reviews — batch-screening firewall, router, and server logs after the fact — were no longer practical. Attack volumes had increased dramatically, and new adversaries were using AI-enabled techniques to probe, disguise, and accelerate intrusions.

To maintain resilience, the organisation needed to shift from periodic manual checks to continuous monitoring powered by AI. Leadership approved an initiative to deploy autonomous security agents capable of ingesting log data in real time, correlating anomalies, and escalating likely threats for human review.

Approach

123.EXPERT insourced a senior cyber security consultractor with experience in both AI-driven monitoring platforms and delivery oversight of uplift programmes. Acting as interim Cyber Security Uplift Lead, they:

  • Defined the target operating model for continuous threat monitoring, including integration with existing SIEM and incident response processes.

  • Oversaw deployment of agentic AI systems trained to analyse diverse log streams, detect abnormal patterns, and trigger automated containment where appropriate.

  • Coordinated with vendors to configure models for the not-for-profit’s hybrid environment, ensuring compliance with sector data obligations.

  • Established governance structures for AI oversight, ensuring transparency of recommendations and auditability of actions.

  • Mentored internal analysts in the operation of the new tooling and in best practice for triage and escalation.

Impact

Within months, the organisation moved from delayed, manual log review to continuous AI-driven monitoring. The new approach reduced mean-time-to-detect by over 70% and uncovered several stealth intrusion attempts that would previously have gone unnoticed.

By applying the 123.EXPERT delivery-focussed insourcing model, the consultractor provided hands-on delivery oversight while embedding knowledge and capability into the in-house team. Once the uplift was stable, the contractor transitioned leadership back to internal staff, leaving a sustainable AI-enabled security posture aligned with the organisation’s mission and risk profile.