We all agree that public AI tools are fantastic for general tasks such as brainstorming ideas and working with non-sensitive customer data. They help us draft quick emails, write marketing copy and even summarize complex reports in seconds. However, despite the efficiency gains, these digital assistants pose serious risks to businesses handling customer Personally Identifiable Information (PII).
Most public AI tools use the data you provide to train and improve their models. This means every prompt entered into a tool like ChatGPT or Gemini could become part of their training data. A single mistake by an employee could expose client information, internal strategies or proprietary code and processes. As a business owner or manager, it is essential to prevent data leakage before it turns into a serious liability.
Financial and Reputational Protection
Integrating AI into your business workflows is essential for staying competitive but doing it safely is your top priority. The cost of a data leak resulting from careless AI use far outweighs the cost of preventative measures. A single mistake by an employee could expose internal strategies, proprietary code or sensitive client information. This can lead to devastating financial losses from regulatory fines, loss of competitive advantage and the long-term damage to your company's reputation.
Consider the real-world example of Samsung in 2023. Multiple employees at the company's semiconductor division (in a rush for efficiency) accidentally leaked confidential data by pasting it into ChatGPT. The leaks included source code for new semiconductors and confidential meeting recordings which were then retained by the public AI model for training. This wasn't a sophisticated cyberattack. It was human error resulting from a lack of clear policy and technical guardrails. The result was that Samsung had to implement a company-wide ban on generative AI tools to prevent future breaches.
6 Prevention Strategies
Here are six practical strategies to secure your interactions with AI tools and build a culture of security awareness.
1. Establish a Clear AI Security Policy
When it comes to something this critical, guesswork won’t cut it. Your first line of defense is a formal policy that clearly outlines how public AI tools should be used. This policy must define what counts as confidential information and specify which data should never be entered into a public AI model such as social security numbers, financial records, merger discussions or product roadmaps.
Educate your team on this policy during onboarding and reinforce it with quarterly refresher sessions to ensure everyone understands the serious consequences of non-compliance. A clear policy removes ambiguity and establishes firm security standards.
2. Mandate the Use of Dedicated Business Accounts
Free public AI tools often include hidden data-handling terms because their primary goal is improving the model. Upgrading to business tiers such as ChatGPT Team or Enterprise, Google Workspace or Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 is essential. These commercial agreements explicitly state that customer data is not used to train models. By contrast, free or Plus versions of ChatGPT use customer data for model training by default (though users can adjust settings to limit this).
The data privacy guarantees provided by commercial AI vendors ensure that your business inputs will not be used to train public models. This establishes a critical technical and legal barrier between your sensitive information and the open internet. With these business-tier agreements, you are not just purchasing features. You are securing robust AI privacy and compliance assurances from the vendor.
3. Implement Data Loss Prevention Solutions with AI Prompt Protection
Human error and intentional misuse are unavoidable. An employee might accidentally paste confidential information into a public AI chat or attempt to upload a document containing sensitive client PII. You can prevent this by implementing data loss prevention (DLP) solutions that stop data leakage at the source. Tools like Cloudflare DLP and Microsoft Purview offer advanced browser-level context analysis and scan prompts and file uploads in real time before they ever reach the AI platform.
These DLP solutions automatically block data flagged as sensitive or confidential. For unclassified data, they use contextual analysis to redact information that matches predefined patterns like credit card numbers, project code names or internal file paths. Together these safeguards create a safety net that detects, logs and reports errors before they escalate into serious data breaches.
4. Conduct Continuous Employee Training
Even the most airtight AI use policy is useless if all it does is sit in a shared folder. Security is a living practice that evolves as the threats advance and memos or basic compliance lectures are never enough.
Conduct interactive workshops where employees practice crafting safe and effective prompts using real-world scenarios from their daily tasks. This hands-on training teaches them to de-identify sensitive data before analysis and turns staff into active participants in data security while still leveraging AI for efficiency.
5. Conduct Regular Audits of AI Tool Usage and Logs
Any security program only works if it is actively monitored. You need clear visibility into how your teams are using public AI tools. Business-grade tiers provide admin dashboards. Make it a habit to review these weekly or monthly. Watch for unusual activity, patterns or alerts that could signal potential policy violations before they become a problem.
Audits are never about assigning blame. They are about identifying gaps in training or weaknesses in your technology stack. Reviewing logs might help you discover which team or department needs extra guidance or indicate areas to refine and close loopholes.
6. Cultivate a Culture of Security Mindfulness
Even the best policies and technical controls can fail without a culture that supports them. Business leaders must lead by example and promote secure AI practices and encourage employees to ask questions without fear of reprimand.
This cultural shift turns security into everyone’s responsibility by creating collective vigilance that outperforms any single tool. Your team becomes your strongest line of defense in protecting your data.
Make AI Safety a Core Business Practice
Integrating AI into your business workflows is no longer optional. It is essential for staying competitive and boosting efficiency. That makes doing it safely and responsibly your top priority. The six strategies we have outlined provide a strong foundation to harness AI’s potential while protecting your most valuable data.
Take the next step toward secure AI adoption. Contact us today to formalize your approach and safeguard your business.
Your business runs on a SaaS (software-as-a-service) application stack and you learn about a new SaaS tool that promises to boost productivity and streamline one of your most tedious processes. The temptation is to sign up for the service, click “install” and figure out the rest later. This approach sounds convenient but it also exposes you to significant risk.
Each new integration acts as a bridge between different systems or between your data and third-party systems. This bridging raises data security and privacy concerns which means you need to learn how to vet new SaaS integrations with the seriousness they require.
Protecting Your Business from Third-Party Risk
A weak link can lead to compliance failures or catastrophic data breaches. Adopting a rigorous and repeatable vetting process transforms potential liability into secure guarantees.
If you are not convinced, just look at the T-Mobile data breach of 2023. While the initial vector was a zero-day vulnerability in their environment, a key challenge in the fallout was the sheer number of third-party vendors and systems T-Mobile relied upon. In highly interconnected systems, a vulnerability in one area can be exploited to gain access to other systems including those managed by third parties. The incident highlighted how a sprawling digital ecosystem multiplies the attack surface. By contrast, a structured vetting process which maps the tool’s data flow enforces the principle of least privilege and ensures vendors provide a SOC 2 Type II report which drastically minimizes this attack surface.
A proactive vetting strategy ensures you are not just securing your systems. You are also fulfilling your legal and regulatory obligations and safeguarding your company’s reputation and financial health.
5 Steps for Vetting Your SaaS Integrations
To prevent these weak links, let’s look at some smart and systematic SaaS vendor/product evaluation processes that protect your business from third-party risk.
1. Scrutinize the SaaS Vendor’s Security Posture
After being enticed by the SaaS product features, it is important to investigate the people behind the service. A nice interface means nothing without having a solid security foundation. Your first steps should be examining the vendor’s certifications and asking them about the SOC 2 Type II report. This is an independent audit report that verifies the effectiveness of a retail SaaS vendor’s controls over the confidentiality, integrity, availability, security and privacy of their systems.
Additionally, do a background check on the founders, the vendor’s breach history, how long they have been around and their transparency policies. A reputable company will be open about its security practices and will also reveal how it handles vulnerability or breach disclosures. This initial background check is the most important step in your vetting since it separates serious vendors from risky ones.
2. Chart the Tool’s Data Access and Flow
You need to understand exactly what data the SaaS integration will touch and you can achieve this by asking a simple and direct question: What access permissions does this app require? Be wary of any tool that requests global “read and write” access to your entire environment. Use the principle of least privilege. Grant applications only the access necessary to complete their tasks and nothing more.
Have your IT team chart the information flow in a diagram to track where your data goes, where it is stored and how it is transmitted. You must know its journey from start to finish. A reputable vendor will encrypt data both at rest and in transit and provide transparency on where your data is stored (including the geographical location). This exercise in third-party risk management reveals the full scope of the SaaS integration’s reach into your systems.
3. Examine Their Compliance and Legal Agreements
If your company must comply with regulations such as GDPR, your vendors must also be compliant. Carefully review their terms of service and privacy policies for language that specifies their role as a data processor versus a data controller and confirm that they will sign a Data Processing Addendum (DPA) if required.
Pay particular attention to where your vendor stores your data at rest (i.e., the location of their data centers) since your data may be subject to data sovereignty regulations that you are unaware of. Ensure that your vendor does not store your data in countries or regions with lax privacy laws. While reviewing legal fine print may seem tedious, it is critical because it determines liability and responsibility if something goes wrong.
4. Analyze the SaaS Integration’s Authentication Techniques
How the service connects with your system is also a key factor. Choose integrations that use modern and secure authentication protocols such as OAuth 2.0 which allow services to connect without directly sharing usernames and passwords.
The provider should also offer administrator dashboards that enable IT teams to grant or revoke access instantly. Avoid services that require you to share login credentials and instead prioritize strong standards-based authentication.
5. Plan for the End of the Partnership
Every technology integration follows a lifecycle and will eventually be deprecated, upgraded or replaced. Before installing, know how to uninstall it cleanly by asking questions such as:
- What is the data export process after the contract ends?
- Will the data be available in a standard format for future use?
- How does the vendor ensure permanent deletion of all your information from their servers?
A responsible vendor will have clear and well-documented offboarding procedures. This forward-thinking strategy prevents data orphanage and ensures that you retain control over your data long after the partnership ends. Planning for the exit demonstrates strategic IT management and a mature vendor assessment process.
Build a Fortified Digital Ecosystem
Modern businesses run on complex systems comprising webs of interconnected services where data moves from in-house systems, through the Internet and into third-party systems and servers for processing and vice versa. Since you cannot operate in isolation, vetting is essential to avoid connecting blindly.
Your best bet for safe integration and minimizing the attack surface is to develop a rigorous and repeatable process for vetting SaaS integrations. The five tips above provide a solid baseline and transform potential liability into secure guarantees.
Protect your business and gain confidence in every SaaS integration. Contact us today to secure your technology stack.
Even the most powerful IT hardware today will eventually become outdated or faulty and will need to be retired. However, these retired servers, laptops and storage devices hold a secret. They contain highly sensitive data. Simply throwing them in the recycling bin or donating them without preparation is a compliance disaster and an open invitation for data breaches.
This process is called IT Asset Disposition (ITAD). ITAD is the secure, ethical and fully documented way to retire your IT hardware. Below are five practical strategies to help you integrate ITAD into your technology lifecycle and protect your business.
1. Develop a Formal ITAD Policy
You can’t protect what you don’t plan for. Start with a straightforward ITAD policy that clearly outlines the steps and responsibilities. There is no need for pages of technical jargon. At a minimum, it should cover:
- The process for retiring company-owned IT assets.
- Who does what? Who initiates, approves and handles each device?
- Standards for data destruction and final reporting.
A clear policy keeps every ITAD process consistent and accountable through a defined chain of custody. It turns what could be a one-off task into a structured and secure routine to help your business maintain a strong security posture all the way to the end of the technology lifecycle.
2. Integrate ITAD Into Your Employee Offboarding Process
Many data leaks stem from unreturned company devices. When an employee leaves, it is critical to recover every piece of issued equipment (laptops, smartphones, tablets and storage drives included). Embedding ITAD into your offboarding checklist ensures this step is never overlooked. With this process in place, your IT team is automatically notified as soon as an employee resigns or is terminated to allow you to protect company data before it leaves your organization.
Once a device is collected, it should be securely wiped using approved data sanitization methods before being reassigned or retired. Devices that are still in good condition can be reissued to another employee while outdated hardware should enter your ITAD process for proper disposal. This disciplined approach eliminates a common security gap and ensures sensitive company data never leaves your control.
3. Maintain a Strict Chain of Custody
Every device follows a journey once it leaves an employee’s hands but can you trace every step of that journey? To maintain full accountability, implement a clear chain of custody that records exactly who handled each asset and where it was stored at every stage. This eliminates blind spots where devices could be misplaced, tampered with or lost.
Your chain of custody can be as simple as a paper log or as advanced as a digital asset tracking system. Whichever method you choose, it should at minimum document key details such as dates, asset handlers, status updates and storage locations. Maintaining this record not only secures your ITAD process but also creates a verifiable audit trail that demonstrates compliance and due diligence.
4. Prioritize Data Sanitization Over Physical Destruction
Many people think physical destruction (like shredding hard drives) is the only foolproof way to destroy data. In reality, that approach is often unnecessary for small businesses and can be damaging to the environment. A better option is data sanitization which uses specialized software to overwrite storage drives with random data to make the original information completely unrecoverable. This method not only protects your data but also allows devices and components to be safely refurbished and reused.
Reusing and refurbishing your IT assets extends their lifespan and supports the principles of a circular economy where products and materials stay in use for as long as possible to reduce waste and preserve natural resources. With this approach, you are not just disposing of equipment securely. You are also shrinking your environmental footprint and potentially earning extra revenue from refurbished hardware.
5. Partner With a Certified ITAD Provider
Many small businesses don’t have the specialized tools or software required for secure data destruction and sanitization. That is why partnering with a certified ITAD provider is often the smartest move. When evaluating potential partners, look for verifiable credentials and industry certifications that demonstrate their expertise and commitment to compliance. Some of the common globally accepted certifications to look for in ITAD vendors include e-Stewards and the R2v3 Standard for electronics reuse and recycling and NAID AAA for data destruction processes.
These certifications confirm that the vendor adheres to strict environmental, security and data destruction standards while taking on full liability for your retired assets. After the ITAD process is complete, the provider should issue a certificate of disposal for recycling, destruction or reuse which you can keep on file to demonstrate compliance during audits.
Turn Old Tech into a Security Advantage
Your retired IT assets aren’t just clutter. They are a hidden liability until you manage their disposal properly. A structured IT Asset Disposition program turns that risk into proof of your company’s integrity and commitment to data security, sustainability and compliance. Take the first step toward secure and responsible IT asset management. Contact us today.
The cloud makes it easy to create virtual machines, databases and storage accounts with just a few clicks. The problem is that these resources are often left running long after they are needed. This “cloud sprawl” (the unmanaged growth of cloud resources) can quietly drain your budget every month. According to Hashi Corp’s State of Cloud Strategy Survey 2024, the top reasons for this waste are lack of skills, idle or underused resources and overprovisioning which together drive up costs for businesses of all sizes.
Why Should I Care About Cloud Resources?
The business benefit is tangible and dramatic. While organizations struggle with cloud budgets exceeding limits by an estimated 17%, automation offers a clear path to control.
For example, a VLink saved a significant amount of money on its non-production cloud spend by implementing a rigorous cloud shutdown automation policy. This policy automatically powered down all development and test environments that were not explicitly tagged as 'Production' outside of normal business hours (8 AM to 6 PM). The savings from just this single automated action accounted for 40% off their non-production cloud spend and freed up that budget for new growth initiatives.
3 Power Automate Workflows
Finding these unused cloud resources feels like hunting for ghosts. But what if you could automate the hunt? Microsoft Power Automate is a powerful tool for this exact task. Let’s look at three straightforward workflows to identify and terminate waste automatically.
1. Automate the Shutdown of Development VMs
Development and test environments are the worst offenders for cloud waste. A team needs a virtual machine for a short-term project. The project ends but the VM continues to run and costs money. You can build a workflow that stops this waste. Create a Power Automate flow that triggers daily and queries Azure for all virtual machines with a specific tag like “Environment: Dev.”
The flow then checks the machine’s performance metrics. If the CPU utilization has been below 5% for the last 72 hours, it executes a command to shut down the VM. This simple Azure automation does not delete anything. It simply turns off the power which slashes costs immediately. Your developers can still start it if needed but you are no longer paying for idle time.
2. Identify and Report Orphaned Storage Disks
When you delete an Azure virtual machine, you are often given an option to delete its associated storage disk. This step is frequently missed and the orphaned disks continue to incur storage charges month after month. You can create a flow to find them.
Build a Power Automate schedule that runs weekly. The flow will list all unattached managed disks in your subscription and will then compose a detailed email report that lists the disk names, their sizes and the estimated monthly cost. The report acts as a clear and actionable list that can be used for cleanup purposes and you can send it using the “Send an email” action to your IT manager or finance team for further evaluation on whether to keep or delete the disks.
3. Terminate Expired Temporary Resources
Some business projects require temporary cloud resources like a blob storage container for a file transfer or a temporary database for data analysis. Since these resources have a finite lifespan, you need to directly integrate and build expiration dates into your deployment process. For this, you can use a Power Automate flow that is triggered by a custom date field. This means that whenever you create a temporary resource, you add a descriptive tag such as “Deletion Date.”
After implementing this best practice (i.e. adding descriptive tags to cloud resources), set the flow to run daily and check for all resources that bear the “Deletion Date” tag. For each resource the flow finds, it should check whether the current date matches or is later than the “Deletion Date” property. If this condition is met, the flow deletes the resource automatically. This hands-off cleanup ensures that temporary items do not become permanent expenses. This approach not only eliminates the risk of human oversight but also uses automation to enforce financial discipline.
Troubleshoot Your Automated Workflows
Using Power Automate to build these workflows is a great start but you also need to implement them safely. Automations that delete resources are powerful and need controls in place. To be safe, always launch these flows in report-only mode which lets you test and simulate automations without enforcing them. For example, you can modify the “Terminate Expired Temporary Resources” flow to send an email alert instead of deleting resources for the first couple of weeks as you observe. This helps validate whether your flow logic is sound and gives you an opportunity to fix errors and oversights.
You can also consider adding a manual approval requirement for certain high-risk actions such as the deletion of very large storage disks. This ensures that your automations work to your benefit and not against you.
Take Control of Your Cloud Spend
These three Power Automate workflows are a good starting point for businesses using Microsoft Azure. They help you shift from a reactive to a proactive position and ensure you only pay for the resources you actively use.
Stop overspending on idle cloud resources. To take control of your cloud environment and start saving. Contact us today to implement these Power Automate workflows and optimize your Azure spend.
Privacy regulations are evolving rapidly and it could be a pivotal year for businesses of all sizes. With new state, national and international rules layering on top of existing requirements, staying compliant is no longer optional. A basic policy won’t suffice. You need a comprehensive Privacy Compliance Checklist that clearly outlines the latest changes from updated consent protocols to stricter data transfer standards.
This guide will help you understand what is new in privacy regulations and give you a way to navigate compliance without getting lost in legal terms.
Why Your Website Needs Privacy Compliance
If your website collects any kind of personal data such as newsletter sign-ups, contact forms or cookies, privacy compliance is necessary. It is a legal obligation that is becoming stricter each year.
Governments and regulators have become much more aggressive. Since the GDPR took effect, reported fines have exceeded $6.5 billion (USD) across Europe according to DLA Piper. Meanwhile, U.S. states like California, Colorado and Virginia have introduced their own privacy laws that are just as tough.
Compliance isn’t just about avoiding penalties. It is about building trust. Today’s users expect transparency and control over their information. If they sense opacity in how their data is used, they may leave or raise concerns. A clear and honest privacy policy fosters trust and helps your business stand out in the digital age where misuse of data can damage a reputation within hours.
Privacy Compliance Checklist: Top Things to Have
Meeting privacy requirements isn’t just about compliance. It is about giving your users confidence that their information is safe with you. Here is what your privacy framework should include:
- Transparent Data Collection: Be clear about what personal data you collect, why you collect it and how you use it. Avoid vague generalities such as “we might use your information to enhance services”. Be specific and truthful.
- Effective Consent Management: Consent must be active, recorded and reversible. Users should be able to opt in or out at will and you should have records that show when consent was given. You need to refresh user consent whenever you change how their data is used.
- Full Third-Party Disclosures: Be honest about what third parties process user data (from email automation tools to payment systems) and how you evaluate their privacy policies.
- Privacy Rights and User Controls: Clearly outline users’ rights such as access, correction, deletion, data portability and the ability to object to processing and make it simple for them to exercise these rights without endless email back-and-forth.
- Strong Security Controls: Apply encryption, multi-factor authentication (MFA), endpoint monitoring and regular security audits.
- Cookie Management and Tracking: Cookie popups are changing and give users more control over non-essential cookies. Don’t rely on default “opt-in” methods or confusing jargon. Clearly disclose tracking tools and refresh them on a regular basis.
- Global Compliance Assurance: If you serve international customers, ensure compliance with GDPR, CCPA/CPRA and other regional privacy laws. Keep in mind each region has its own updates such as enhanced data portability rights, shorter breach notification timelines and expanded definitions of “personal data.”
- Aged Data Retention Practices: Avoid keeping data indefinitely “just in case”. Document how long you retain it and outline how it will be securely deleted or anonymized. Regulators now expect clear evidence of these deletion plans.
- Open Contact and Governance Details: Your privacy policy should have the name of a Data Protection Officer (DPO) or privacy contact point.
- Date of Policy Update: Add a “last updated” date to your privacy policy to notify users and regulators that it is actively maintained and up-to-date.
- Safeguards for Children’s Data: If you are collecting data from children, have more stringent consent processes. Some laws now require verifiable parental consent for users under a specified age. Review your forms and cookie use for compliance.
- Automated Decision-Making and Use of AI: Disclose the use of profiling software and AI platforms. When algorithms influence pricing, risk assessments or recommendations, users should understand how they operate and have the right to request a human review.
What is New in Data Laws?
Privacy regulations are expanding with stricter interpretations and stronger enforcement. Here are six key privacy developments to watch and prepare for.
International Data Transfers
Cross-border data flow is under scrutiny again. The EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework faces new legal challenges and several watchdog groups are testing its validity in court. Moreover, businesses that depend on international transfers need to review Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) and ensure their third-party tools meet adequacy standards.
Consent and Transparency
Consent is evolving from a simple 'tick box' to a dynamic and context-aware process. Regulators now expect users to be able to easily modify or withdraw consent and your business must maintain clear records of these actions. In short, your consent process should prioritize the user experience and not just regulatory compliance.
Automated Decision-Making
If you use AI to personalize services, generate recommendations or screen candidates, you will need to explain how those systems decide. New frameworks in many countries now require “meaningful human oversight”. The days of hidden algorithms are coming to an end.
Expanded User Rights
Expect broader rights for individuals such as data portability across platforms and the right to limit certain types of processing. These protections are no longer limited to Europe. Several U.S. states and regions in Asia are adopting similar rules.
Data Breach Notification
Timelines for breach reporting are shrinking. Certain jurisdictions now require organizations to report breaches to authorities within 24 to 72 hours of discovery. Missing these deadlines can lead to higher fines and damage your reputation.
Children’s Data and Cookies
Stricter controls around children’s privacy are being adopted globally. Regulators are cracking down on tracking cookies and targeted ads aimed at minors. If you have international users, your cookie banner may need more customization than ever.
Do You Need Help Complying with New Data Laws?
Privacy compliance can no longer be treated as a one-time task or a simple checkbox. It is an ongoing commitment that touches every client, system and piece of data you manage. Beyond avoiding fines, these new laws help you build trust by demonstrating that your business values privacy, transparency and accountability.
If this feels overwhelming, you don’t need to face it alone. With the right guidance, you can stay on top of privacy, security and compliance requirements using practical tools, expert advice and proven best practices. Our step-by-step support from experienced professionals who understand the challenges businesses face will give you the clarity and confidence to turn privacy compliance into a strategic advantage. Contact us today.
ChatGPT and other generative AI tools (such as DALL-E) offer significant benefits for businesses. However, without proper governance, these tools can quickly become a liability rather than an asset. Unfortunately, many companies adopt AI without clear policies or oversight.
Only 5% of U.S. executives surveyed by KPMG have a mature and responsible AI governance program. Another 49% plan to establish one in the future but have not yet done so. Based on these statistics, while many organizations see the importance of responsible AI, most are still unprepared to manage it effectively.
Looking to ensure your AI tools are secure, compliant and delivering real value? This article outlines practical strategies for governing generative AI and highlights the key areas organizations need to prioritize.
Benefits of Generative AI to Businesses
Businesses are embracing generative AI because it automates complex tasks, streamlines workflows and speeds up processes. Tools such as ChatGPT can create content, generate reports and summarize information in seconds. AI is also proving highly effective in customer support by automatically sorting queries and directing them to the right team member.
According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), generative AI technologies can improve decision-making, optimize workflows and support innovation across industries. All these benefits aim for greater productivity, streamlined operations and more efficient business performance.
5 Essential Rules to Govern ChatGPT and AI
Managing ChatGPT and other AI tools isn’t just about staying compliant. It is about keeping control and earning client trust. Follow these five rules to set smart, safe and effective AI boundaries in your organization.
Rule 1. Set Clear Boundaries Before You Begin
A solid AI policy begins with clear boundaries for where you can or cannot use generative AI. Without these boundaries, teams may misuse the tools and expose confidential data. Clear ownership keeps innovation safe and focused. Ensure that employees understand the regulations to help them use AI confidently and effectively. Since regulations and business goals can change, these limits should be updated regularly.
Rule 2: Always Keep Humans in the Loop
Generative AI can create content that sounds convincing but may be completely inaccurate. Every effective AI policy needs human oversight. AI should assist people rather than replace them. It can speed up drafting, automate repetitive tasks and uncover insights but only a human can verify accuracy, tone and intent.
This means that no AI-generated content should be published or shared publicly without human review. The same applies to internal documents that affect key decisions. Humans bring the context and judgment that AI lacks.
Moreover, the U.S. Copyright Office has clarified that purely AI-generated content that lacks significant human input is not protected by copyright. This means your company cannot legally own fully automated creations. Only human input can help maintain both originality and ownership.
Rule 3: Ensure Transparency and Keep Logs
Transparency is essential in AI governance. You need to know how, when and why AI tools are being used across your organization. Otherwise, it will be difficult to identify risks or respond to problems effectively.
A good policy requires logging all AI interactions. This includes prompts, model versions, timestamps and the person responsible. These logs create an audit trail that protects your organization during compliance reviews or disputes. Additionally, logs help you learn. Over time, you can analyze usage patterns to identify where AI performs well and where it produces errors.
Rule 4: Intellectual Property and Data Protection
Intellectual property and data management are critical concerns in AI. Whenever you type a prompt into ChatGPT, you risk sharing information with a third party. If the prompt includes confidential or client-specific details, you may have already violated privacy rules or contractual agreements.
To manage your business effectively, your AI policy should clearly define what data can and cannot be used with AI. Employees should never enter confidential information or information protected by nondisclosure agreements into public tools.
Rule 5: Make AI Governance a Continuous Practice
AI governance isn’t a one-and-done policy. It is an ongoing process. AI evolves so quickly that regulations written today can become outdated within months. Your policy should include a framework for regular review, updates and retraining.
Ideally, you should schedule quarterly policy evaluations. Assess how your team uses AI, where risks have emerged and which technologies or regulations have changed. When necessary, adjust your rules to reflect new realities.
Why These Rules Matter More Than Ever
These rules work together to create a solid foundation for using AI responsibly. As AI becomes part of daily operations, having clear guidelines keeps your organization on the right side of ethics and the law.
The benefits of a well-governed AI use policy go beyond minimizing risk. It enhances efficiency, builds client trust and helps your teams adapt more quickly to new technologies by providing clear expectations. Following these guidelines also strengthens your brand’s credibility and shows partners and clients that you operate responsibly and thoughtfully.
Turn Policy into a Competitive Advantage
Generative AI can boost productivity, creativity and innovation but only when guided by a strong policy framework. AI governance doesn’t hinder progress. It ensures that progress is safe. By following the five rules outlined above, you can transform AI from a risky experiment into a valuable business asset.
We help businesses build strong frameworks for AI governance. Whether you are busy running your operations or looking for guidance on using AI responsibly, we have solutions to support you. Contact us today to create your AI Policy Playbook and turn responsible innovation into a competitive advantage.
In recent years, generative AI tools like ChatGPT have rapidly gained adoption among both individuals and businesses. Within organizations, teams are leveraging these tools for a wide range of tasks including drafting emails, brainstorming ideas, writing code, analyzing data, summarizing reports and even creating media such as videos and images.Read more
Your data backup software may show a daily green “success” message and weekly reports tell you everything is fine. While this feels safe, ask yourself this critical question: When was the last time you actually restored a file from that backup? If the answer is never, you are gambling with your business data. A backup system without regular testing is like a fire alarm that has never been checked. You don’t want to discover it is failing during an emergency.Read more
The holiday season brings increased business activity, celebrations and year-end deadlines. It also marks peak opportunity for scammers. As companies focus on hitting targets and managing festivities, cybercriminals take advantage of urgency and distraction to carry out some of their most profitable schemes including fake vendor invoices and gift card fraud. Read more
Have you ever thought about how many potential customers leave your website because of accessibility issues? It is not just a guess. A UK Click-Away Pound survey found that 69% of disabled internet users leave websites that are not accessible. For small and medium businesses, this represents a significant missed opportunity.
How do you make your website and documents digitally accessible? This guide will show you simple and actionable steps to make your website and documents welcoming to everyone.
Understand How People Use Your Site
It is easy to think your website is intuitive just because it works for you. However, that doesn’t mean it works for everyone. Some people use a keyboard instead of a mouse. Others rely on screen readers that read text aloud or use voice commands to navigate a page. Testing how real users with disabilities interact with your website can show you things you might never notice.
The most valuable insights come from real users. Invite feedback from people who use assistive technologies. Watch how they navigate your site, where they get stuck and how they interpret your content. You will often find that small design or content changes can remove significant barriers.
Make Your Visuals Accessible for All
Visual accessibility is one of the most common areas that websites overlook. Millions of people have some degree of visual impairment and rely on different aids to access digital content.
Text should clearly stand out against its background even for people with low vision or color blindness. A contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text is considered accessible. Use free tools like the Contrast Checker from WebAIM to make verification easy.
Make Documents User-Friendly
Many businesses share important information through downloadable documents like PDFs, Word files or PowerPoint presentations. Unfortunately, many of these documents are inaccessible by default.
When creating a PDF, make sure that it is tagged. Tagged PDFs have structural information such as headings, paragraphs and tables which makes the PDF more readable for screen readers. Make sure to include alt text for images and organize content so it reads correctly for users relying on assistive technology. A simple test for accessibility before sending or uploading the document can make sure that it can be read by everyone.
Make Reading Easier and Reduce Mental Effort
Some users may learn in a different way or have cognitive disabilities that affect how they read and interpret information. However, even those without diagnosed disabilities enjoy plain and uncluttered content.
Use plain language. Avoid using complex and long sentences or jargon where a straightforward explanation will do. Break your writing up into short paragraphs with explanatory subheadings. This is easier for everyone to read and find what they require in a short amount of time.
The fonts you choose also matter. Fonts like Arial, Verdana and Sans-Serif are easier to read on the screen. Choose a font size of at least 14 points for body text and never use all caps or italics because they are harder to read.
Support People with Hearing or Mobility Needs
Accessibility goes beyond visual or cognitive needs. Millions of people have hearing or physical disabilities that affect how they use technology.
Provide captions or transcripts for all video and audio content to support deaf or hard-of-hearing visitors. Consistently adding these is important as many viewers watch videos on mute at work or in public. Transcripts also help search engines index your content and give your site a slight SEO boost.
For users with limited mobility, ensure that your website is completely accessible with only a keyboard. All links, buttons and form fields should be accessible using the Tab key. Avoid features requiring fine motor control including small click-tooltips or drag-and-drop interfaces.
Keep Improving Through Feedback and Data
Accessibility isn’t a one-time project. It is an ongoing process. Each time you update your site or add new content, test to ensure everything remains accessible. Encourage visitors to provide feedback if they encounter issues and consider including an accessibility statement on your site to show your commitment and provide contact information for support.
Accessibility gap insights can also be provided by analytics tools. When you notice users abandoning pages or forms, it is usually an indication of an accessibility or usability issue.
Make Accessibility Part of Your Brand
For small and medium sized businesses, accessibility can seem like just another item on an already long to-do list. However, it is a smart investment in your reputation and customer relationships. When your website and documents are accessible, you are showing your audience that your business is thoughtful, inclusive and professional. You are also protecting yourself from potential legal risks as accessibility standards like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) apply to many websites.
The good news is that beauty and accessibility can go hand in hand. You can have a modern and visually striking website that is also accessible by thoughtfully choosing colors, design elements and language that welcome everyone.
Ready to Make Your Website More Accessible?
Accessibility is not a technical requirement. It is about people. It is about ensuring everyone can read your content, fill out your forms or download your documents regardless of their abilities. For business owners, that is the essence of good service. You are meeting customers where they are and including everyone.
By investing the time to make your documents and site accessible, you are opening doors and removing barriers. Whether you are doing your color contrast check, adding alt text to images, naming PDFs or performing keyboard navigation testing, each step brings you closer to a more inclusive online experience.
Ready to make your website accessible, user-friendly and welcoming to all visitors? Let us help you transform your site into a powerful asset for your business. Contact us today to get expert guidance and start creating an accessible and modern website that works for everyone.