AI Tools at Work Are Creating New Security Risks That Companies Are Not Managing

Companies are increasingly using AI agents, automated tools that can access data, run workflows, deploy code, and interact with important business systems. Security experts are warning that most organizations treat these AI tools like regular software instead of recognizing them as digital identities that need the same security controls as human employees. These AI agents often operate with little oversight or security monitoring. For most families, this is not a direct threat to your home computers or personal devices. However, it could affect you indirectly if a company you do business with has poor AI security practices. If an AI agent at your bank, healthcare provider, school, or employer is compromised, it could potentially access your personal information, financial records, or medical data stored in their systems. The risk is that these AI tools might have access to sensitive information without proper safeguards in place.

If you are concerned about how companies handle your data, here is what you can do. First, review the privacy settings on accounts you have with banks, healthcare providers, and other services that store your personal information. Second, enable two factor authentication on every account that offers it to add an extra layer of protection. Third, regularly check your account activity for anything suspicious, whether financial accounts or services like email and cloud storage. Fourth, consider asking companies directly about their data security practices when you interact with customer service. This issue highlights why it is important to share only necessary information with businesses and online services. The more places your data is stored, the more potential points of failure exist. Be selective about which services you sign up for and what information you provide. Monitor your accounts regularly and report anything suspicious immediately.

For parents, this is also a good reminder to teach kids to be cautious about oversharing personal information online.