How to Address AI Security Risks with ISO 27001?

AI is an emerging technology that is transforming organisations by enabling them to analyse big data, execute activities, and make decisions that improve efficiency and innovation. However, similar to any other technology, AI has its benefits and risks also and there are new security threats that arise from it that organizations need to manage. The risks of AI systems are many and varied and include the following; data privacy, adversarial attacks, and the following.  

 

Top 7 AI security risks and how ISO 27001 compliance can help mitigate them

 

The management of risks in AI is anchored by the Information Security Management Systems –ISO/IEC 27001 that gives a comprehensive approach towards the management of risks posed by the use of AI. Therefore, according to the guidelines, organizations can define the threats or shortcomings of AI systems, use security measures and assess the risks.  

 

1. Data Privacy and Protection 

 

AI systems rely on large datasets to function as intended in most circumstances. Both when the AI models are being trained and when the AI models are making decisions, the AI systems work with data that is potentially PII or contains other sensitive business data. This is a big problem especially as concerns privacy because the data may be utilised, disclosed or used in a manner that the owner did not approve. 

 

ISO/IEC 27001 helps in controlling the risk of AI related data privacy since it requires implementation of protection controls and encryption of data. It makes it mandatory for an organization to categorize the processed data by the level of risk and then take precaution to ensure that the data is not accessed by unauthorized persons. In addition, the standard combined with the data protection laws such as GDPR to ensure that the AI-based processes are legal. 

 

According to a Statista report, the percentage of companies that considered data privacy as a critical consideration when deploying AI was 70% in 2023. ISO/IEC 27001 minimizes risks associated with data loss and ensures the proper security of the data employed in AI-based solutions. 

 

2. Adversarial Attacks on AI Systems

 

Another of the new threats that have been noted to affect AI systems is adversarial attacks, which involve a form of attempt to manipulate the inputs into an AI model with a view of getting wrong output. Such attacks could be very devastating and have consequences particularly in critical sectors including health, finance and self-driving automobiles. For instance, in 2019, it was demonstrated that signs perceived by AI systems in self-driving cars could be easily falsified, and the AI system would misinterpret it as a different sign that would lead to a crash. 

 

ISO/IEC 27001 provides a system to tackle these risks by doing threat evaluation and security solutions. With the aid of ISO/IEC 27001, organizations are forced to evaluate possible risks in AI systems such as adversarial attacks, ensuring that security measures such as model verification, input validation, and anomaly detection are in place. Moreover, the standard requires constant monitoring and auditing, so it can be observed that organizations are capable of detecting and preventing malicious actions in real time. 

 

3. Bias and Fairness in AI 

 

The effectiveness of AI systems depends on the quality of data that is input into the system. When the data is biased, then the AI model is biased or discriminative, which leads to a negative impact on the organisations’ reputation and legal compliance. For example, AI-based recruitment technologies have been said to replicate discrimination by gender and race among other discriminations, meaning there is a need for ethical AI. 

 

The risk management of ISO/IEC 27001 supports minimizing the impact of bias in artificial intelligence systems by making the organizations responsible for the data they process. There are rules that organisations have to set out how data is collected, stored and processed and this can be very helpful in identifying and eradicating bias at the outset. Furthermore, the standard also provides that the AI models should be checked from time to time to ascertain that they are not biased. 

 

According to the McKinsey’s survey conducted in 2022, 56% of the participants expressed their concern on bias in AI algorithms. These controls from ISO/IEC 27001 can help companies avoid bias-related risks while also demonstrating compliance with the industry’s highest standards of AI. 

 

4. AI Model Integrity and Security 

 

Ensuring the integrity of AI models is essential to maintaining their effectiveness and reliability.  If an AI model is changed or somehow damaged, it will produce wrong or even dangerous outputs. This risk is especially true in such fields as healthcare as AI systems are utilized in diagnostics and treatment recommendations. 

 

ISO/IEC 27001 helps to protect the AI models from any unauthorized changes and access through the creation of a strict change management and access control system. The standard also requires organisations to pay attention to changes to the AI systems and ensure that only authorised personnel can modify the models. This aids in eliminating modifications that may be made by other people who do not have the knowledge of the AI system and this may lead to poor performance of the AI system. Moreover, the security reviews that are mandatory by ISO/IEC 27001 ensure that AI models are safe and performing well. 

 

5. Third-Party Risks in AI Systems 

 

Currently, most organisations continue to apply third-party solutions, which are either purchasing off-the-shelf AI models or cloud-based AI services. While this can be beneficial in raising the degree of efficiency, it also presents new security risks. Third party vendors may lack proper security which is dangerous to the organization as some data may leak, models may be stolen among others. 

 

Third parties risk management is also covered in ISO/IEC 27001 where the organization has to evaluate its sellers and ensure that they are safe enough. Security requirements should be part of the contracts and agreements and organizations should review their vendor periodically. 

 

The report from Gartner in the year 2023 revealed that 60% of companies would adopt third-party AI solutions by 2025 and therefore we have third party security risks to deal with. Thanks to the use of the principles of ISO/IEC 27001, it becomes possible to ensure that AI partners adhere to the same level of security as the business. 

 

6. Incident Response for AI-Related Security Events 

 

AI systems like any other systems are not safe from security threats and breaches. It does not matter if it is a data leakage, an adversarial attack, or an AI model malfunction – the organization has to be prepared to respond appropriately. ISO/IEC 27001 requires that an organization implements an incident management procedure which defines how the organization is going to detect, assess, and respond to security incidents. 

 

In the case of AI-specific incidents, this may include monitoring of AI models for signs of tampering, inspection of data streams for data breaches, and, potentially, engaging stakeholders in the process of mitigation. Also, ISO/IEC 27001 demands the management of an organization should update and review the incident response plans in order to address new AI threats periodically. 

 

The 2023 Ponemon Institute Cost of a Data Breach Report also revealed that companies which had an IRP in place, saved an average of $2.66 million on a breach. The systematic approach of ISO/IEC 27001 to incident management implies that while managing AI-related security incidents an organization would not have to shut down or significantly change the way it works. 

 

7. AI Governance and Accountability 

 

The two most important issues related to AI security are governance and accountability. This is because no one is given specific responsibilities of handling ethical and legal matters of artificial intelligence. ISO/IEC 27001 also promotes accountability because it addresses roles and responsibilities concerning information security. This is because it assists in making certain that the AI systems are developed, installed and operated in a secure and lawful manner. 

 

Also, ISO/IEC 27001 suggests organizations incorporate governance frameworks that govern the actions of AI, to incorporate ethics into the development of AI. It can help in preventing issues such as the algorithm’s prejudice, the abuse of data, or adverse effects of AI decisions. 

 

Conclusion 

 

Data protection, model protection, third-party risk management, and security incident handling are the measures that could be taken to reduce the security risks brought by AI. ISO/IEC 27001 provides frameworks for managing these risks within organizations in an efficient manner. According to the guidelines, the companies are not only able to protect the AI systems and algorithms but also demonstrate that they are actively conducting the proper use of Artificial Intelligence. 

 

For organizations seeking to strengthen their AI security posture, Vinsys offers ISO 27001 training programs designed to help teams understand and implement the standard’s requirements effectively. Our expert-led training provides practical insights into managing AI security risks, ensuring that your organization remains resilient and compliant in an increasingly AI-driven world.