4 Questions before implementing AI in Your Business

Implementing AI into Your Business Safely: The 4 Questions to Ask First

Artificial Intelligence offers brilliant opportunities to streamline your workday, but connecting new AI applications to your company data introduces unique privacy and security risks.

We are seeing a growing push to adopt new technology to boost efficiency and ensure businesses do not get left behind. However, clicking ALLOW on a new third party application without proper checks can unintentionally open the door to unexpected risk.

For instance, leaking of confidential information might not happen because of a malicious hack, but simply because of how a third party app handles your information.

The "Admin Approval" Screen is Your Friend

When you try to connect a new AI tool to your environment, such as Microsoft or Google, you will often see a prompt asking for an Administrator to review the request.

It can feel like a frustrating roadblock designed to slow you down, and that is exactly the point. It is a vital security checkpoint. By taking a moment to review permissions, you ensure the application only accesses the information it truly needs to do its job safely.

Your Plain English AI Safety Checklist

To help you make informed decisions, we have put together a friendly guide based on recommendations from the Australian Cyber Security Centre, which is a part of the Australian Signals Directorate.

Before adopting a new AI application, run through these four simple steps:

1. Understand the True Purpose

Take a moment to define exactly what the AI tool is intended to do. Ask yourself what specific data the application really needs to access. If a simple calendar scheduling tool asks for permission to read all your confidential emails and customer files, it is best to pause and ask why.

2. Follow the Data Trail

You need to know exactly where your information is going. Find out if your data will be stored securely and whether it stays in Australia or goes overseas. Most importantly, check if the application uses your confidential business data or personally identifiable information to train its own public AI models. Uploading sensitive client details into a public AI tool is a major privacy risk.

3. Review the House Rules

It is important to check the provider's privacy policy and terms of service. You want to ensure they comply with the Privacy Act and respect your data. Find out if they have a clear process for notifying you immediately if a data breach ever occurs.

4. Lock the Front Door

Finally, look into the security measures the application uses to protect your data. Ensure that any information the application accesses is properly encrypted, both when it is sitting in storage and when it is being transferred over the internet. It is also highly recommended to ensure the tool supports strong multi factor authentication to keep unauthorised users out.

How Loyal I.T. Solutions Can Help

Navigating the world of AI and third party applications can feel a bit overwhelming, but you do not have to do it alone.

To put in an extra layer of protection, we offer a Security Operations Centre. Think of our SOC as a Proactive Response service. Instead of just "Reporting" and telling you something is broken after the fact, our team works behind the scenes to fix vulnerabilities for you, stopping problems before they start.

When considering a new AI tool, please reach out to the team at Loyal I.T. Solutions for guidance. We are always happy to help you run through this checklist and keep your data safe.

Contact us today on 02 4337 0700 or email reception@loyalit.com.au.