Vocus and Fortinet Launch Secure Shield for AI Visibility

Enterprises are losing visibility of how employees use generative AI, and telcos are stepping in to close the gap.

Vocus and Fortinet have launched a fully managed Secure Access Service Edge platform, as "Shadow AI", the concept of an employee using AI unbeknownst to their employer, has quickly become a cyber threat.

According to Vocus, recent Australian government and industry research states that almost every organisation in the country has employees pasting sensitive data into ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude with no oversight.

The new Vocus Secure Shield service is designed to give CIOs and CISOs insight into how these AI tools are being used across their organisations, while applying policy controls at the network level.

Estimates suggest between 21 and 27% of white-collar workers are using generative AI without employer knowledge, while industry data shows many organisations either prohibit AI outright or lack clear policies.

At the same time, cybercriminals are adopting the same tools to accelerate attacks, from social engineering to vulnerability discovery.

Telcos move up the security stack

Vocus' launch marks a step further into managed security services, building on its national fibre, mobile and satellite footprint.

By integrating Fortinet’s SASE capabilities directly into its network, the company is aiming to offer enterprises both connectivity and security as a single managed service.

"Australian businesses have a Shadow AI problem, and most don't yet realise the scale of it," said Tom Sykes, General Manager of Products & Marketing at Vocus.

"Employees are using AI. The question isn't whether to allow it, but whether you have visibility into what they're feeding these tools and can put sensible guardrails in place.

"We are seeing strong demand from enterprise and government customers for a service like Secure Shield," Sykes added.

"CIOs and CISOs want visibility into what people are doing with AI, not another blocking policy that’s simply worked around.

"Secure Shield brings together Fortinet’s AI driven cybersecurity platform with the Vocus national network – fibre, mobile and satellite – as a fully managed service."

The platform builds on a long-standing relationship between the two companies, with Vocus already managing around 10,000 Fortinet devices and endpoints across Australia.

It is also one of the first major products to emerge following Vocus’ integration of TPG Telecom’s fibre assets and enterprise operations.

From blocking to visibility

A core premise of the offering is that traditional methods, such as blocking access to AI tools, are ineffective. Employees can easily switch platforms or use personal devices, leaving organisations with limited oversight.

"You cannot block your way out of this problem," says Dale Nachman, Senior Regional Director, ANZ, Fortinet.

"The only durable answer is deep visibility into what applications your staff are actually using and what data is moving through them, combined with policy-based guardrails that coach users toward good decisions rather than just slamming a door in their face."

Instead, Secure Shield applies application-level awareness to monitor activity within AI tools, not just access to them.

Data loss prevention capabilities can flag or prevent sensitive information from being shared with public models before it leaves the organisation.

Network-integrated SASE model

Technically, the service differentiates itself by being embedded within the Vocus network rather than relying solely on third-party cloud routing.

Customer traffic connects via private links into Fortinet’s Australian SASE infrastructure through direct peering, reducing latency and external dependencies.

Vocus is also working to extend its Metro Ethernet Forum 3.0 certification to cover SASE services, which would mark a first in Australia if achieved.

The service uses pre-configured Fortinet SD-WAN or SD-Branch devices that can self-provision over 5G once connected, enabling new sites to come online in minutes rather than days.

This automation is designed to appeal to distributed enterprises looking to scale securely without complex rollouts.

Expanding role in enterprise AI governance

The launch comes amid a sharp rise in reported data breaches, with more than 500 notifiable incidents recorded in Australia in the first half of 2025 alone, according to Vocus.

Malicious or criminal attacks are the primary cause, creating a sense of urgency for organisations to modernise their security environments.

By combining connectivity, security and AI oversight into a single managed platform, Vocus is positioning itself as an industry influencer for enterprises which  adopt and control emerging technologies at scale.

Secure Shield is now available to enterprise, government and wholesale customers across Australia.