What's New in February

January brings a familiar rhythm: Company kickoffs, shiny new objectives, bold plans for market domination. You know the drill. That energy carries straight into execution. Projects spin up, budgets get green lit, hands hit the keyboard, and AI pulls up a chair.

Security leaders are taking note. It's no surprise that AI governance dominates as a top priority. All the while, your teams are moving lightning fast to put kickoff objectives into action. Internal planning docs, trade secrets context, early thinking that was never meant to leave the organization…

All of that flowing into AI tools, sanctioned or not.

It's a proverbial AI soup of your company's greatest hits!

This isn't all that surprising given just how good consumer models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and others have gotten. Each new release raises the ceiling on what these tools can do and lowers the friction to use them. Have you even seen Clawdbot Moltbot OpenClaw?

Combined with executive mandates, the pull is very, very real.

A recent headline hit a familiar note: a senior U.S. cyber defense official acknowledged using ChatGPT to summarize internal government information. The problem? They bypassed agency guidance on sharing data with public AI tools.

Government data, y'all. Yikes. But that's the norm. KPMG's 2025 Trust in AI survey details this explicitly.

Findings from KPMG, Trust in Artificial Intelligence Global Insights (2025)

Like we say in threat detection: it's not if compromise happens, but when. 

So the real question becomes about observability. Do you know where AI usage is happening, and more importantly, why and the intention behind the use? That understanding grounds policy adherence efforts in reality.

And word to the wise: blocking tools outright removes the most obvious path without removing the need. The work still has to happen, so people just work around the blocks. Plus, you know, there's always this…

Gwen's cat is the queen of RBF

Which is why in January we released our Shadow AI Assessment, a complimentary 14-day evaluation with Maro.

It begins with shadow AI discovery by illuminating real workflows where generative AI is used most by your people. From there, we deliver and review a findings report that clarifies concentrated risk, which behaviors warrant attention, and how to fill policy gaps. All of this happens alongside a strategic engagement with the Maro team.

You know where to find us when you're ready to get started. 😉

With that backdrop, let's get into what's new in February!

Cheers,
Team Maro

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Product Updates

Shadow AI Findings Report

An executive-ready snapshot of how generative AI is being used across the business, connecting tools, use cases, and policy gaps.

Social Engineering Trends at a Glance

A live view of social engineering activity across your organization, highlighting the top threat categories, who is being targeted, and which tactics are repeating.

From the Blog

Introducing Maro's Shadow AI Assessment

AI adoption is here and happening. Do you have the behavior observability needed to guide it securely?

Read Now →

Cybersecurity Theater and the Wicked Problem of Human Risk

A reflection on the wicked problem of human risk, and the article that started it all in 2024.

Read Now →

Upcoming Events

CognectCon

Feb 4–5 in Tampa, FL
We're sponsors and active participants in a working group alongside the Cognitive Security Institute, NIST, and industry peers, focused on human-centered principles in cybersecurity programs and governance initiatives.

CactusCon: Executive Dinner

Feb 6, 6:00pm MT in Mesa, AZ
We're gathering a small group for an executive dinner and panel discussion on AI governance, plus hosting a VIP after party. Word on the street: one of our fave customers will be there!

Accountable and Hopeful Fridays

Feb 6, 3:30pm ET, virtual event
You'll find us at AHF’s upcoming virtual session talking about how Maro helps people and companies navigate secure AI adoption.

ISSA Silicon Valley Meetup

Feb 17, 5:30pm PT in Mountain View, CA
We’re teaming up with ISSA SV for a screening of I Am Machine, a documentary that explores the intersection of human identity, technology, and cybersecurity. One you don't want to miss!

Save the Date

Maro Roadshow Boston

Feb 26 in Boston, MA
Our first roadshow kicks off in Boston with an educational session on governing AI usage beyond access controls and down to behavior. RSVP link coming soon!

Maro at RSA