New research has shown what type of sensitive corporate data has been inadvertently fed to GenAI platforms in 2024 – and the results are tough to stomach.
Using generative AI for work can supercharge productivity. However, sharing sensitive information with AI engines creates security risks many organisations don’t realise until it’s too late. By then, the damage is already done.
Think of your intellectual property like a secret recipe. When employees share code snippets, trade secrets or product documentation with AI, it’s like posting that recipe publicly – but worse, because AI has a perfect memory.
Most employees simply want to summarise text, edit blogs, or generate content, yet a whopping 8.5% of prompts contain sensitive information that could put an organisation at risk!
The most frequent types of leaks are customer data, followed by employee data, legal and finance, security and then sensitive code.
A Recipe for Disaster
The financial and legal consequences of a leak could be severe. Regulatory violations, breached NDAs, and hefty penalties are all possibilities when sensitive data gets shared.
It’s like leaving your chocolate donuts in the office fridge – once spotted, they’re gone for good. But while missing donuts might just lead to a boring lunch, exposed data can have lasting repercussions, from regulatory fines to damaged client relationships.
When strategic initiatives get accidentally fed to AI, you might as well broadcast your corporate gameplan. Those carefully crafted strategies become as public as a restaurant’s front-window menu. Every product roadmap, pricing strategy, and market analysis shared with AI could potentially become a bite-sized snack for your biggest competitors.
Turning the AI Tide: From Open Buffet to Private Dining
There’s hope for slimming down this banquet of AI data-sharing yet. Here’s how to keep your secret ingredients safe while still cooking up innovation:
Technical Territory
- DLP solutions serve as your first line of defense, catching sensitive data before it leaves your environment
- Enterprise-grade AI platforms provide secure environments with proper data handling protocols
- Automated prompt scanning checks all content before submission
- Regular security audits ensure your protections stay effective
The Human Element
- Clear guidelines for AI usage that explain what can and can’t be shared
- Regular training on data sensitivity and the implications of exposure
- AI governance oversight to monitor and guide appropriate use
- Incident response plans for potential data breaches
Understand what’s sensitive and needs protection, then choose AI tools like you’d choose kitchen equipment – no cutting corners on cheap stuff. The high cost of some enterprise AI solutions is tiny compared to the potential cost of a data breach.
Remember: Prevention beats remediation – once data is shared, it’s shared forever. You can’t unscramble an egg. Catch our drift?
The Takeaway
In reality, no one’s trying to expose sensitive data deliberately. Well-meaning employees are simply eager to work smarter and more efficiently, sharing information to help their colleagues and do their jobs better. They’re trying to be productive in a world where AI tools offer amazing possibilities.
With the right approach, we can embrace all the benefits of AI without compromising security. It’s like posting about your fancy corporate lunch on Linkedin – share the meal pics all you want, just make sure the company credit card isn’t in the shot!
