‘FREE’ AI tools: A threat from within
At cybersecurity.vision, we believe that protecting your organization’s privacy is just as important as defending against external cyberattacks. A key part of our in-house masterclass focuses on teaching employees how seemingly harmless, free AI tools can lead to serious data leaks and privacy breaches. External threats like AI-driven phishing and deepfakes get a lot of attention. However, the internal risks from free AI tools are often overlooked.
The rise of ‘AI experts’
Today, we see a surge in AI experts popping up on platforms like LinkedIn, offering cheat sheets and recommending free tools and ask for a reply in the coomment section to get the sheet. We even see CEO’s and higher manager replying to these kind of posts. As a result more and more employees are using ‘free AI’ tools to help with daily tasks without any strategy. Such as analyzing data such as excel sheets or writing reports. Employees may unintentionally input sensitive data into these platforms, including confidential customer information or financial records.
The result? Data that could be stored, shared, or even sold to third parties without the organization’s knowledge. This behavior opens up significant privacy risks, potentially undoing all the investments made in external cybersecurity.
Lessons from the past
This rush to embrace AI feels very familiar. History is repeating itself. Not too long ago, when social media became the new hot topic, many “social media experts” emerged, often leading organizations into trouble. In many cases, businesses made social media the focus, rather than using it as a tool to enhance their communication strategy. This misstep left companies with fragmented digital strategies that did more harm than good and did cost a lot of budget!
The same risk that once existed with social media is now emerging with AI. In the rush to adopt AI, many organizations are experimenting with unvetted tools, unaware of the serious security vulnerabilities they are introducing. While social media missteps mainly posed risks to budget and reputation, mishandling AI could have far graver consequences. Poor AI integration and data misuse not only threaten your operations but could lead to catastrophic breaches or compliance failures. In extreme cases, it could mean the end of your business. That’s why a strategic, thoughtful approach to AI is essential—just as it should have been with social media but with even higher stakes.
‘Free’ AI tools: a hidden threat to data privacy
So it’s clear that ‘free AI tools’ can introduce unexpected risks, especially when handling sensitive information. Most of these platforms don’t provide the necessary encryption or data protection to safeguard confidential data or store data at locations you don’t want to know! Employees might be unaware that their use of free AI tools for tasks, such as customer analysis or processing private documents, could result in severe data leaks.
For example, government employees might use these tools to analyze citizen data without realizing the information is exposed to external servers. This can lead to privacy breaches and may violate regulations like GDPR, putting organizations at risk of heavy fines and reputational damage.
Trial and error in the workplace: a risky approach
It’s common to see business leaders and employees experimenting with AI tools that are freely available online. Many turn to LinkedIn for advice from so-called AI experts, asking for recommendations and cheat sheets and often magagers of organizations replying to those posts to request all FREE ‘cheat sheets’ in the comments. While the intention is to improve productivity, this trial-and-error approach can have serious consequences. Employees may unknowingly expose sensitive information while using unsecured tools that do not meet professional security standards.
Without proper oversight and training, using these tools can lead to accidental data leaks. This could undermine the expensive cybersecurity systems already in place. A simple analysis with AI tools can quickly turn into a data breach, leaving businesses struggling to control the damage.
The solution: a 4 hours Cybersecurity Resilience masterclass and building human firewalls
At cybersecurity.vision, our masterclass focuses on turning employees into human firewalls, the first line of defense against internal and external threats. We offer an in-house masterclass for small groups of up to 15 employees, providing a practical, inspiring, and hands-on experience.
In our masterclass, employees will learn also to:
- Identify the risks associated with using free AI tools.
- Understand the privacy implications when handling sensitive data.
- Implement best practices to avoid data leaks and ensure privacy compliance.
This is not just about raising awareness—it’s about providing employees with the practical skills they need to protect your organization from AI-driven threats. Our engaging, real-world masterclass helps your team apply what they learn immediately, making them proactive in their approach to cybersecurity. The masterclass is hosted by Erik Jan Koedijk, cybersecurity communications specialist and author of the book RESET!