Shadow AI: The Hidden Compliance Risk

Shadow AI is any unsanctioned AI tool discovered outside your approved catalog. In GenAI Assure™, Shadow AI is handled through a formal Operations Playbook with time‑boxed actions, evidence requirements, and dashboards—so you can control risk without blocking safe adoption.

How GenAI Assure™ Manages Shadow AI

1) Operations Playbook (with SLAs)

Trigger: automated discovery (CASB/DNS) or manual report. Contain (≤1 hour, automated): add domain to monitor/block list; open an incident; notify stakeholders. Triage (≤24 hours): run Value & Risk Assessment with the user's manager; record rationale and evidence. Remediate (≤5 business days): low risk → fast‑track sanctioning with pre‑approved SSO/DLP/allow‑list changes; medium/high risk → keep blocked and either cease use or submit full DPIA/FRIA.

Evidence: all decisions, comms, and outcomes recorded in the ticketing system with an immutable audit trail.

2) Detect & Monitor (GA‑DM‑001)

A unified AI event schema (user/role/device; tool; use_case_id; action like prompt/output/upload/webhook; data‑classification; decision; connector/token ID) feeds the SIEM. Core detections include PII patterns, new/changed webhooks, bulk transfers, and anomalous spikes. Dashboards track Shadow‑AI coverage and policy‑violation trends.

3) Technical Protection (GA‑TP‑001)

Enforce identity and egress so only sanctioned tools are used: SSO+MFA, SCIM, vaulted secrets with ≤90‑day rotation, AI‑aware DLP on endpoint/web/email with prompt/output redaction, and proxy/CASB allow‑lists for approved AI API FQDNs; block unknown webhook destinations.

4) Documentation & Compliance (GA‑DC‑001)

Maintain an Evidence Pack including the sanctioned catalog, discovery results, SIEM/DLP exports, WORM proof, RoPA/DPIA/FRIA, and vendor files (e.g., transfer tools and attestations).

5) Response & Remediation (GA‑RR‑001)

Use AI‑specific runbooks (e.g., PII exfiltration, token compromise, misleading/deepfake content). On DLP "block," auto‑disable the connector, revoke the token, open an incident, notify Security & Compliance, and attach the evidence export. Provide a user redress path with defined SLAs.

6) Evidence Automation

Collect from SIEM, DLP, CASB/proxy, IdP, ticketing/GRC, SaaS AI admin APIs; store evidence (YAML + binaries) in WORM/object storage with SHA‑256 hashes. Use correlation keys such as use_case_id, control_id, vendor_id, token_id, connector_id, timestamp, decision.

KPIs & Dashboards

Shadow‑AI coverage (%)
DLP effectiveness (%)
MTTD/MTTR for AI incidents
Token‑hygiene ≥95% within rotation SLA

Where This Sits in the 30‑60‑90 Plan

Days 1—30: Shadow‑AI discovery, sanctioned catalog, SIEM routing (WORM), baseline DLP.
Days 31—60: Shadow‑AI Triage Playbook and GA‑PG/TP/DM/DC/RR/RB controls.
Days 61—90: Automate discovery, enable dashboards, build Evidence Packs to SLA.

Bottom line: Shadow AI is a governed workflow, not a grey area. GenAI Assure™ gives you discovery, triage with SLAs, enforcement controls, audit‑ready evidence, and measurable KPIs—so you can reduce real risk while enabling safe AI adoption.