New attack vectors, employees using public AI tools with sensitive data, intellectual property exposure, AI-generated misinformation and deepfakes, and third-party vendor risk are converging faster than most security functions can adapt their existing frameworks.
Where this gets hard
- AI systems introduce genuinely new attack vectors that traditional security tooling wasn't designed to detect.
- Employees using public AI tools informally create data leakage risks outside official channels.
- Intellectual property can be inadvertently exposed through everyday AI tool usage.
- AI-generated misinformation and deepfakes create reputational and fraud risks that are hard to detect and attribute.
- Third-party AI vendors introduce risk that traditional vendor risk assessments weren't built to evaluate.
Where to start
- Extend existing security frameworks explicitly to cover AI-specific attack vectors, rather than assuming existing controls are sufficient.
- Provide sanctioned, secure AI tool alternatives so employees aren't forced toward unsanctioned public tools.
- Update intellectual property protection guidance to specifically address AI tool usage.
- Build a response protocol for AI-generated misinformation or deepfake incidents before one occurs.
- Update vendor risk assessment criteria to include AI-specific questions on data handling, model training and explainability.
The consulting document includes an AI-specific security risk checklist and a vendor risk assessment addendum you can add to existing procurement processes.
Does your vendor risk assessment ask any AI-specific questions, or does it treat every vendor the same?