Shadow IT (the use of software, hardware, systems, and services not approved by an organization's IT/IT department) has been a problem for decades and is a difficult area for IT leaders to effectively manage. is.
Similar to Shadow IT, Shadow AI refers to all AI-enabled products and platforms used within an organization that are unknown to those departments. Although personal use of AI applications is considered harmless and low risk, Samsung (for example) faced immediate consequences when an employee's use of ChatGPT led to an online leak of sensitive intellectual property. Ta.
However, the risks of shadow AI are threefold.
1) Entering data or content into these applications may put your intellectual property at risk
2) As the number of AI-enabled applications increases, aspects such as data governance and regulations such as GDPR become important considerations, and the potential for abuse also increases.
3) There is reputational risk associated with unchecked AI output. Regulatory violations have serious consequences and are a major headache for IT teams trying to track them down.
Mitigating the risks posed by shadow AI
There are four steps you need to take to mitigate the threat of Shadow AI. All are interdependent and the absence of any of the four leaves a gap in mitigation.
1. Classify your AI usage
Establishing a risk matrix for the use of AI within your organization and defining how it will be used will enable you to have productive conversations about the use of AI across your business.
Risks can be considered on a continuum, from low-risk using GenAI as a “virtual assistant”, through “co-pilot” applications, to high-risk areas such as incorporating AI into your own products.
By categorizing your business based on its potential risk appetite, you can determine which AI-enabled applications can be approved for use in your organization. This becomes critical when building acceptable usage policies, training, and detection processes.
2. Build an acceptable use policy
Once AI use is classified, create an organization-wide acceptable use policy so that all employees know exactly what they can and cannot do when working with approved AI-enabled applications. need to be formulated.
Clarity on what uses are permissible is key to ensuring data safety and enables enforcement actions to be taken if necessary.
3. Create employee training based on AI usage and acceptable use policies, and ensure all employees complete the training.
Generative AI is as fundamental as the introduction of the internet into the workplace. Training must start from scratch to ensure employees understand what they are using and how to use it effectively and safely.
Innovative technology always requires a learning curve, and when these skills are so important, you can't just leave people alone. Investing now to help your employees use generative AI securely can also help your organization increase productivity and reduce data misuse.
4. Deploy appropriate detection tools to monitor active use of AI within your organization
IT asset management (ITAM) tools have been working on AI detection capabilities since before ChatGPT became a thing last year. Organizations can only control what they can see. For AI-enabled applications, that work is doubled. Many AI-enabled applications are free and cannot be tracked through traditional methods like expense receipts or purchase orders.
This is especially important for tools that incorporate AI, where users are not necessarily aware that AI is being used. Many employees do not understand the meaning of intellectual property in these situations. Proactive enforcement is key to his ITAM solution with software asset discovery for AI tools.
All four steps must be taken to establish a strong security posture. Missing all four elements leaves a hole in the shadow AI defense system.
conclusion
While no industry is more susceptible to shadow AI risks than others, larger organizations and well-known brands are typically more likely to suffer widespread reputational damage from the impact. You need to take a cautious approach.
Industries and businesses of all sizes need to leverage the benefits of AI. However, having the appropriate procedures and guidance in place as part of an integrated cybersecurity strategy is an important part of implementing this innovative technology.
AI is already creating lasting changes in the way organizations operate, and embracing this change can set businesses up for future success.
Generative AI is another technology that is only partially successful in preventing threats at the perimeter. I need to detect what is being used in the shadows.
