AI security: complete definition in AI for SMEs

AI security encompasses all practices aimed at protecting Artificial Intelligence systems against attacks, data leaks, manipulation and unauthorized access. It covers API key protection, data encryption in transit and at rest, access management, prompt injection detection and monitoring of abnormal model behavior.

What it changes for an SME

In SMEs, AI security risks are often underestimated:

• a prompt injection: a malicious user manipulates your chatbot to disclose internal information;
• a data leak: an employee pastes customer data into ChatGPT without realizing it feeds the model's training;
• an API key theft: an OpenAI key exposed in a public repository → surprise bill.

Essential measures

Store API keys in a secrets manager, never hardcoded. Encrypt sensitive data. Restrict API calls by IP and volume. Train teams on AI-specific risks (not just classical IT security). In fractional AI leadership, AI security is a cross-cutting deliverable: integrated into every deployment, not treated as a separate project.