Microsoft hack raises concerns over AI chat data risks for businesses
Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT and Copilot are increasingly used by employees for drafting emails, summarising reports and other tasks. Cybersecurity analysts caution that this usage creates “digital exhaust” – fragments of personal data that, when aggregated, can be exploited in targeted attacks.
While organisations have invested heavily in protecting their networks, much of this AI-related activity happens outside corporate systems, often on personal devices. This creates a blind spot for traditional security measures.
The risk extends beyond employees inadvertently sharing confidential company information with AI platforms. If hackers gain access to large stores of personal AI chat data, they could build detailed profiles of employees – including travel plans, frustrations with workplace systems, or personal circumstances. Such information could then be weaponised in hyper-personalised phishing or social engineering attacks.
The Microsoft incident has been cited as a reminder that even well-resourced technology providers are not immune to breaches. Analysts say this underscores the need for organisations to review how they manage the wider digital footprint of staff.
Recommendations from security specialists include updating internal policies on AI use, expanding employee training to cover risks linked to personal data shared with chatbots, and adopting more advanced threat detection systems designed to spot anomalous behaviour linked to AI-driven attacks.
As AI adoption accelerates, experts warn that cybersecurity strategies must evolve accordingly – shifting from purely network-based defences to approaches that take into account the broader data exposure created by new digital tools.