Leveraging AI and enhancing cybersecurity

Harnessing AI and cybersecurity to drive innovation, mitigate risks, and deliver long-term value

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Joining us: Lance Norton the Global Head of IT Operations at WaterAid

In today's fast-paced digital landscape, artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity have become pillars of innovation and operational resilience within organisations. During his recent conversation with Doug Drinkwater, Editorial and Strategy Director at HotTopics, Lance Norton, Global Head of IT Operations at WaterAid, shared valuable insights that go beyond organisational boundaries, shedding light on the broader implications of AI adoption and risk management in IT operations.

Harnessing AI for service management

Artificial intelligence holds immense potential to revolutionise IT operations, and Lance Norton emphasised the foundational steps organisations should take to implement AI with purpose and impact.

"Ultimately, we want to implement an AI agent within our ITSM tool to reduce first- and second-line tickets," he noted.

The adoption of AI in Service Management (ITSM) tools aims to streamline incident resolution, minimising the need for human intervention in day-to-day tasks like ticket handling. This approach frees IT teams to focus on high-impact innovations and strategic projects that contribute to organisational goals.

While WaterAid is still in the early stages of its AI journey, the principles shared by Norton highlight an important takeaway for other organisations: Enterprises must establish a strong foundation before scaling AI efforts. For instance, refining data quality, aligning AI capabilities with business needs, and focusing on measurable outcomes can significantly influence the success of AI-driven transformations.

A proactive stance on cybersecurity

As organisations ramp up their digital capabilities, cybersecurity remains a critical concern, especially for global entities operating across diverse regions. Norton stressed the importance of managing risks that arise from disparate IT systems and varying maturity levels across federations.

"Although 80% of our capacity is within the UK, a larger percentage of risk lies outside the UK," he shared.

This insight underscores the growing necessity for global organisations to adopt risk-focused cybersecurity strategies. By conducting comprehensive discovery exercises to identify vulnerabilities, leaders can prioritise critical risks and build resilient systems. Projects such as device management rollouts and ITSM tool implementations can also aid in centralising operations and uncovering hidden risks.

For organisations navigating complex network systems and distributed teams, Norton’s approach offers a valuable lesson: Cybersecurity strategy should pivot from reactive firefighting to proactive risk mitigation. It requires a combination of analytics, policy optimisation, and cross-team coordination to safeguard systems and enable secure scaling.

AI and cybersecurity as enablers

One of the most significant shifts in IT leadership is the evolving role of technology as an "enabler" rather than a simple "support mechanism." Norton believes IT leaders must focus on delivering value streams that go beyond maintaining uptime.

"Rather than just being a support mechanism, IT needs to be seen as a legitimate business function," Norton explained, advocating for IT’s inclusion in strategic planning and business decisions.

AI and cybersecurity are prime examples of initiatives that empower IT leaders to act as enablers. AI, when implemented thoughtfully, can transform workflows, improve employee experiences, and offer predictive insights to drive innovation. Similarly, a strong cybersecurity framework helps organisations build trust with their customers, protect sensitive data, and maintain long-term stability.

Key takeaways for modern IT leaders

Lance Norton’s insights offer three essential takeaways for IT leaders striving to embrace AI and improve cybersecurity:

1. Start with the foundations: Whether adopting AI or bolstering cybersecurity, foundational steps, such as understanding costs, ownership, and maturity, are crucial for success.
2. Be proactive: Shift from reactive IT functions to proactive strategies that preempt risks and deliver long-term value. AI and risk management tools can provide the means to achieve this.
3. Integrate with business goals: IT teams must align with organisational goals and position themselves as enablers of transformation. AI and cybersecurity should be viewed as investments in innovation and resilience. 

Conclusion

As AI continues to spark innovation and cybersecurity remains a focal point of resilience, IT leaders must evolve their approach to balance both efficiently. Lance Norton’s experience helps illustrate how organisations can move beyond operational maintenance to embrace technologies that drive efficiency, mitigate risks, and contribute to a more seamless user experience.

Ultimately, the shared learnings from AI and cybersecurity strategies can empower IT teams across industries to move forward confidently in today’s increasingly digitised world.

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