How to Use AI Securely: 8 Best Practices to Protect Your Business Data

1. Turn Off Model Training on Your Conversations

Some AI platforms use your conversations to improve their systems. While this may help the model get smarter, it also increases the chance that your data could be stored or reused.

Best Practice: Head to your AI platform’s Data Controls and disable training. This ensures private conversations stay private.

2. Avoid Sharing Sensitive Details (Use Placeholders Instead)

Everything you type into AI could potentially be stored. To stay safe, never share real client names, financials, or business secrets.

Best Practice: Replace real details with fictional ones. For example, instead of IBM, use “Jimmy the King Inc.” You’ll get the same insights without risking exposure of real entities.

3. Be Careful with AI Agents

AI agents can browse websites, click links, and execute actions on your behalf. The problem? They can’t always tell if a link is malicious.

Best Practice: Give clear, limited instructions. Never provide passwords, credit card details, or confidential data through an AI agent.

4. Guard Against Prompt Injection

Hackers can hide malicious instructions inside documents or links that an AI might unknowingly follow. This could lead to leaking data or performing unintended actions.

Best Practice: Use strict prompts and include rules like “Never share personal data.” When in doubt, test prompts with a separate AI system or colleague before running them in production.

5. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Even the strongest password isn’t enough if someone gets hold of it.

Best Practice: Turn on 2FA in your AI account settings. Use an authenticator app instead of SMS for extra security.

6. Create a Company AI Policy

The biggest risk often comes from employees using AI without clear rules.

Best Practice: Draft an internal policy defining:

• What data can be shared.

• Which AI tools are approved.

• Who is responsible for oversight.

This ensures everyone uses AI consistently and safely. Just make it look nice.

7. Separate Work and Personal Accounts

Blending personal and business AI usage increases risks of data leaks.

Best Practice: Keep a separate account or workspace for business queries. Don’t mix personal brainstorming with confidential company projects.

8. Back Up Important Work

AI platforms may delete, restrict, or lose past conversations without warning.

Best Practice: Export important results and store them securely in your company’s own system.