SQ-DL-02Level 3 · Sequence3 steps in 30 days
Shadow AI drift
- 3 steps
- 30 days
- Level 3 · Sequence
A person uses an unauthorized AI tool, signs into it with a personal account, and then puts sensitive data into a prompt, all within 30 days.
Classification
- Risk domain One of 9 areas of human risk, from social engineering to readiness and response. Every signal belongs to one.
- Dimensions Every signal answers one of 3 questions.
- Evidence level
- Maturity practices One capability a program performs, scored on its own: See, Understand, Act, Prove, Govern and Culture.
- Leads to The kind of breach the evidence beneath it points toward, each anchored to a Verizon DBIR or VERIS pattern or an FBI IC3 category.
- ATT&CK tactics
-
- Collection
- Exfiltration
- NIST CSF 2.0 (from its signals)
-
- ID.AM-02
- PR.DS-10
- MITRE ATT&CK (from its signals)
-
- T1567
The sequence, step by step
SQ-DL-023 stepsPeak: Stage 3 Exploited
Step 01ATT&CK tactic: Collection
Unauthorized AI tool
AU-B-01Uses unauthorized AI tools
Stage 2Susceptible
Step 02ATT&CK tactic: Collection
Personal account login
AU-B-03Uses personal accounts on AI platforms
Stage 2Susceptible
Step 03ATT&CK tactic: Exfiltration
Sensitive data in prompt
AU-B-02Puts sensitive data in AI prompts
Stage 3Exploited
Shadow AI drift, 3 steps inside 30 days: Unauthorized AI tool (AU-B-01 Uses unauthorized AI tools, Collection, Stage 2 Susceptible); then Personal account login (AU-B-03 Uses personal accounts on AI platforms, Collection, Stage 2 Susceptible); then Sensitive data in prompt (AU-B-02 Puts sensitive data in AI prompts, Exfiltration, Stage 3 Exploited). It leads to HB-09 Shadow AI & agent misuse.
A completed sequence is evidence that its steps happened in order inside 30 days: a suspicion to triage, with the outcome still open. Here the person reaches Stage 3 Exploited; Stage 5 Confirmed follows only when the SOC opens an incident.
The definition, in detail
Definition
The first two steps place the person at Stage 2; the sensitive prompt moves them to Stage 3 and completes the sequence.
Example
A product analyst started using a free AI assistant for meeting notes, logged in with a personal email, and three weeks later pasted the unreleased pricing sheet into it.
The steps
3 steps, in order.
-
Unauthorized AI tool
-
Personal account login
-
Sensitive data in prompt
How it is measured
- Steps
- 3
- Window
- 30 days
- Sources
- Web, CASB & DLP
- Breach scenario
- Shadow AI & agent misuse
How it is used
Programs watch the 3 steps in order inside 30 days; a completed run moves the person to Stage 3 Exploited and points at Shadow AI & agent misuse.
A completed path is evidence that the steps happened in order inside the window: a suspicion to triage, with the outcome still open. A vigilant behavior at any step breaks the path.
Continue exploring
"Shadow AI drift" (SQ-DL-02), Human Risk Management Framework v2.0.0, Living Security, CC BY 4.0. https://www.humanriskmanagement.com/taxonomy/sequences/sq-dl-02-shadow-ai-drift
Part of the open HRM Taxonomy, CC BY 4.0. Download the taxonomy as JSON · What's new in 2.0. This page describes one sequence.
The initial assessment
Find your level.Then fix what matters.
18 questions, about 4 minutes and nothing to type before the result: your level, a score for each practice and three first playbooks, each Easy, Medium or Hard.