Employees are experimenting with AI at record speed. They are drafting emails, analyzing data, and transforming the workplace. The problem is not the pace of AI adoption, but the lack of control and safeguards in place.
For CISOs and security leaders like you, the challenge is clear: you don’t want to slow AI adoption down, but you must make it safe. A policy sent company-wide will not cut it. What’s needed are practical principles and technological capabilities that create an innovative environment without an open door for a breach.
Here are the five rules you cannot afford to ignore.
Rule #1: AI Visibility and Discovery
The oldest security truth still applies: you cannot protect what you cannot see. Shadow IT was a headache on its own, but shadow AI is even slipperier. It is not just ChatGPT, it’s also the embedded AI features that exist in many SaaS apps and any new AI agents that your employees might be creating.
The golden rule: turn on the lights.
You need real-time visibility into AI usage, both stand-alone and embedded. AI discovery should be continuous and not a one-time event.
Rule #2: Contextual Risk Assessment
Not all AI usage carries the same level of risk. An AI grammar checker used inside a text editor doesn’t carry the same risk as an AI tool that connects directly to your CRM. Wing enriches each discovery with meaningful context so you can get contextual awareness, including:
- Who the vendor is and their reputation in the market
- If your data being used for AI training and if it’s configurable
- Whether the app or vendor has a history of breaches or security issues
- The app’s compliance adherence (SOC 2, GDPR, ISO, etc.)
- If the app connects to any other systems in your environment
The golden rule: context matters.
Prevent leaving gaps that are big enough for attackers to exploit. Your AI security platform should give you contextual awareness to make the right decisions about which tools are in use and if they are safe.
Rule #3: Data Protection
AI thrives on data, which makes it both powerful and risky. If employees feed sensitive information into applications with AI without controls, you risk exposure, compliance violations, and devastating consequences in the event of a breach. The question is not if your data will end up in AI, but how to ensure it is protected along the way.
The golden rule: data needs a seatbelt.
Put boundaries around what data can be shared with AI tools and how it is handled, both in policy and by utilizing your security technology to give you full visibility. Data protection is the backbone of safe AI adoption. Enabling clear boundaries now will prevent potential loss later.
Rule #4: Access Controls and Guardrails
Letting employees use AI without controls is like handing your car keys to a teenager and yelling, “Drive safe!” without driving lessons.
You need technology that enables access controls to determine which tools are being used and under what conditions. This is new for everyone, and your organization is relying on you to make the rules.
The golden rule: zero trust. Still!
Make sure your security tools enable you to define clear, customizable policies for AI use, like:
- Blocking AI vendors that don’t meet your security standards
- Restricting connections to certain types of AI apps
- Trigger a workflow to validate the need for a new AI tool
Rule #5: Continuous Oversight
Securing your AI is not a “set it and forget it” project. Applications evolve, permissions change, and employees find new ways to use the tools. Without ongoing oversight, what was safe yesterday can quietly become a risk today.
The golden rule: keep watching.
Continuous oversight means:
- Monitoring apps for new permissions, data flows, or behaviors
- Auditing AI outputs to ensure accuracy, fairness, and compliance
- Reviewing vendor updates that may change how AI features work
- Being ready to step in when AI is breached
This is not about micromanaging innovation. It is about making sure AI continues to serve your business safely as it evolves.
Harness AI wisely
AI is here, it is useful, and it is not going anywhere. The smart play for CISOs and security leaders is to adopt AI with intention. These five golden rules give you a blueprint for balancing innovation and protection. They will not stop your employees from experimenting, but they will stop that experimentation from turning into your next security headline.
Safe AI adoption is not about saying “no.” It is about saying: “yes, but here’s how.”
Want to see what’s really hiding in your stack? Wing’s got you covered.
