Protecting Your Organization from External AI Tool Risks with ActivTrak

The rapid adoption of external AI tools like DeepSeek presents organizations with both opportunities and risks. While DeepSeek offers advanced AI capabilities and potential cost savings through its chat and code generation features, recent security analyses have revealed serious concerns. DeepSeek's data collection practices, storage of information on servers in China, and identified security vulnerabilities create significant risks around data privacy, security, and compliance. Multiple countries, including Italy and Australia, have already restricted DeepSeek's use due to these concerns.

This guide explains how to protect your organization from these risks using ActivTrak's comprehensive monitoring and risk management capabilities.

Contents

Understanding the Risks

Developing an AI Governance Strategy

How to Leverage ActivTrak

Best Practices

Understanding the Risks

Data Privacy and Surveillance

External AI tools collect vast amounts of sensitive data, including chat conversations, file uploads, device information and keystroke patterns. When this data is stored in jurisdictions with different data protection laws, organizations lose control over how their information is handled. Foreign companies may be required to share data with government entities, putting your intellectual property and customer information at risk.

Data collection isn't limited to obvious inputs. These tools often gather metadata about devices, user behavior patterns, and network information. This extensive data collection creates significant privacy concerns, especially when the data is transmitted and stored internationally.

Security and Compliance Risks

Recent security analyses of AI tools like DeepSeek have exposed significant vulnerabilities including weak encryption, hard-coded security keys, and susceptibility to prompt injection attacks. When combined with extensive data collection and storage in jurisdictions with different privacy standards, these vulnerabilities create serious compliance challenges. Organizations using these tools may struggle to meet GDPR and CCPA requirements, particularly when data flows across borders. A security breach could expose not just individual conversations, but entire repositories of sensitive information, potentially resulting in substantial regulatory penalties.

Developing an AI Governance Strategy

Before implementing technical controls, organizations need a comprehensive AI governance strategy. Start by developing clear acceptable use policies that specify which AI tools employees can use on corporate devices. These policies should outline approved applications, usage guidelines, and the process for vetting new AI tools. Work with your legal and compliance teams to review the data handling practices of any third-party AI tools you're considering.

Employee education is crucial for effective governance. Create training programs that help staff understand the risks of using unauthorized AI applications and the importance of protecting sensitive data. These programs should cover basic cyber hygiene, signs of potentially risky AI tools, and procedures for requesting access to new tools.

When implementing these controls, maintain a balance between security and employee privacy. Focus monitoring efforts on business-related activities and be transparent about what data is being collected and why. Clear communication about policy helps build trust and encourage compliance with AI usage policies.

How to Leverage ActivTrak

Monitor AI Tool Usage

ActivTrak gives you clear visibility into how external AI tools are being used across your organization. The Technology Usage Dashboard helps you track adoption patterns and identify unauthorized usage. You'll see which teams are accessing AI platforms, how frequently they're used, and whether usage aligns with your policies.

The Top Websites Report provides analytics about in-browser AI access. You can track usage trends over time and generate comprehensive documentation for compliance purposes. This visibility helps you make informed decisions about technology investments while ensuring security policies are followed.

To see which AI apps are gaining popularity, use the Top Changes tab in the Technology Usage Dashboard. You can also click the Subscribe button to get regular reports via email, Teams, or Slack: 

To see who’s using specific AI tools, use the Adoption tab. Click the Subscribe button to receive automated exception reports at a regular cadence: 

Implement Prevention Controls

ActivTrak's Website Blocking feature lets you restrict access to unauthorized AI tools. Adding deepseek.com and related domains to your blocked list prevents data exfiltration through these channels. You can apply blocking policies to specific groups, allowing necessary access while maintaining security:

Custom alarms alert you to AI tool access attempts and potential policy violations. Set up alarms for security teams when users try to access blocked services or exhibit suspicious behavior patterns. These real-time alerts help you respond quickly to potential security risks:

Track Risk Levels

The Risk Level Report helps you quantify and manage AI tool usage risks. Use it to score different activities based on their potential impact and to track compliance violations. This report is also a great way to monitor the effectiveness of your policy and identify high-risk behavior patterns that need attention.

You can customize risk scoring to match your organization's specific concerns. Set appropriate thresholds for different types of AI tool usage and receive alerts when those thresholds are exceeded:

Implementation Steps

Start by navigating to Settings > Blocking to restrict access to unauthorized AI domains. Add chat.deepseek.com and related URLs to your blocked list. Apply blocking policies to relevant groups and test their effectiveness.

Next, configure AI detection alarms under Alarms > Configuration. Set up alerts for AI tool access and enable notifications for your security team. Configure risk scoring to match your organization's tolerance levels and add AI tool domains to your monitoring list.

Use Insights > Technology Usage to track AI platform adoption across your organization. Review usage patterns regularly and generate compliance reports when needed. The dashboard helps you identify policy violations and track the effectiveness of your controls.

Finally, access Alarms > Risk Level to review risk scores and investigate high-risk activities. Document incidents thoroughly and track your remediation efforts. Regular review of these reports helps you maintain a strong security posture.

Best Practices

As you implement the above steps to protect your organization from external AI apps, keep the following best practices in mind.

1. Develop clear AI usage policies that outline approved tools and acceptable use cases. 

• Train employees on security risks and proper data handling procedures. 
• Document your processes and maintain regular user awareness programs.

2. Monitor Technology Usage reports consistently to spot trends and potential issues. 

• Pay close attention to risk level patterns to identify areas that require an immediate response.
• Investigate security alerts promptly and maintain detailed records of your findings.

3. Create incident response plans for AI tool-related security events. 

• Document your investigation procedures and maintain thorough audit trails.
• Review and update your procedures regularly based on new threats and changing business needs.

Need help? Contact ActivTrak Support for assistance setting up AI tool protection measures.