Shadow AI risk assessment
A step-by-step playbook for security teams to discover shadow AI, quantify data exposure, and implement governance controls. From zero visibility to continuous monitoring in 6 weeks.
Assessment playbook
01
Day 1-2Deploy detection
Install browser extension and endpoint monitoring to capture AI tool usage across the organization.
02
Week 1-2Collect data
Allow 1-2 weeks of monitoring to establish baseline usage patterns. Identify all AI providers, user populations, and interaction volumes.
03
Week 3Classify risk
Categorize each AI tool by data sensitivity: what types of data are employees sharing? How much PII is being exposed?
04
Week 3-4Assess impact
Quantify business impact: regulatory exposure, competitive intelligence risk, data breach potential, and reputational risk.
05
Week 4-6Implement controls
Deploy governance: approve tools with DLP, restrict high-risk providers, enforce policies, and establish audit trails.
06
OngoingMonitor continuously
Transition from assessment to continuous monitoring. New AI tools emerge weekly — ongoing detection ensures sustained governance.
Key metrics to measure
- Number of unique AI providers detected across the organization
- Percentage of AI interactions containing sensitive data
- Number of users with AI tool usage above baseline thresholds
- Data sensitivity distribution by department and AI provider
- Policy violation rate before and after governance deployment
Start your shadow AI assessment
Deploy discovery tools and begin your risk assessment today.
Frequently asked questions
How do I discover shadow AI in my organization?+
Deploy endpoint monitoring (browser extension, network analytics) to detect AI tool usage patterns. PromptWall's shadow AI detection identifies every AI provider interaction across browser, editor, and CLI surfaces — providing a complete inventory of AI tools in use.
What should I do after discovering shadow AI?+
Follow the discover → classify → govern model: catalog all AI tools found, classify them by data sensitivity risk, approve low-risk tools with inspection, apply DLP controls to medium-risk, and restrict or replace high-risk tools. Don't block everything — govern effectively.
How often should I run shadow AI assessments?+
The initial assessment provides a baseline. After that, continuous monitoring is essential because new AI tools launch weekly and employees adopt them quickly. PromptWall provides continuous shadow AI detection as part of its standard deployment.