Next-generation AI models may pose a “high” cybersecurity risk, including the potential to generate sophisticated exploits or assist intrusion operations, according to a warning from OpenAI. This highlights that AI is no longer just a defensive tool; it is a strategic attack surface that organizations must actively govern. Adding to that, 60% of organizations are highly concerned about employee misuse of AI tools enabling insider threats, according to the 2025 Insider Risk Report by Cybersecurity Insiders and Cogility.
The Problem: AI Expands the Attack Surface
AI is now embedded across workflows in engineering, HR, finance, and clinical operations, introducing new and often misunderstood risks. Modern AI systems can generate executable code, identify vulnerabilities, craft personalized phishing messages, and automate reconnaissance. While these tools support security teams, they also enable misuse by anyone with access.
Employees, contractors, or third parties may unintentionally or deliberately misuse AI in ways traditional controls can miss. Shadow AI use, unapproved model integrations, and poorly governed prompts increase exposure. Compounding the issue, 62% of organizations faced at least one deepfake attack in the past year, and 32% experienced attacks targeting their AI applications, according to a 2025 Gartner survey.
Why This Matters: Business, Regulatory, and Board Risk
AI-driven insider risk is a strategic business threat. Misuse can corrupt data, create vulnerabilities, disrupt operations, and expose sensitive information, impacting productivity, customer trust, and competitive advantage.
Regulatory risks are growing as organizations must comply with HIPAA, SOX, GDPR, and new AI governance requirements focused on transparency and accountability. Noncompliance risks costly enforcement and reputational harm.
Boards now expect CISOs and CIOs to clearly explain how AI-enabled insider risks are governed and mitigated. Failure to do so may weaken investor confidence and slow strategic initiatives.
How Organizations Can Prepare
Organizations should adopt a holistic People, Process, Technology approach. People: Train employees and leaders on responsible AI use and insider risk awareness. Process: Implement strong AI governance frameworks defining acceptable use, model oversight, and ownership. Incorporate AI-specific threat modeling and behavioral analytics, leveraging standards like the NIST AI Risk Management Framework. Technology: Enforce identity and access controls around AI tools and sensitive data, along with continuous monitoring to detect misuse early.
Finally, investing in ongoing employee education is critical because even as AI evolves, people remain the backbone of any defense strategy.
AccessIT Group’s Strategy and Transformation practice helps organizations design and implement AI-aware insider risk programs that align strategy, governance, and technology controls to protect sensitive data and enable secure, value-driven AI adoption.
