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Corporate AI Risk Assessment: A Checklist for Executives and IT
A checklist for assessing enterprise AI risks: tools, data, access, vendors, and compliance. Find out where your company is vulnerable.
AI risk assessment is a systematic review of where and how your company uses artificial intelligence, what data it processes, and what would happen in the event of misuse or error. For an executive, it provides the answer to a simple question: "Is AI helping our company—or is it creating risks we aren't aware of?"
TL;DR — Key Highlights
- Most companies are already using AI but lack oversight of its use.
- The assessment covers five areas: tools, data, access, vendors, and compliance.
- The result is a list of priority actions, not just a report.
- Align the assessment with NIS2 and existing cybersecurity risk assessments.
Checklist in 5 Key Areas
| Area | Key Question | Red Flag |
|---|---|---|
| Tools | Which AI tools are being used? | Unknown / personal accounts |
| Data | What data is being fed into AI? | Personal data in free tools |
| Access | What can the AI see and do? | Copilot with excessive permissions |
| Vendors | Who processes the data and where? | No data processing agreements |
| Compliance | EU AI Act, GDPR, NIS2? | No policy or training |
How the Assessment Works
- Interviews with leadership and key departments.
- Technical review: firewall, Entra ID, Microsoft 365 permissions.
- Probability and impact assessment for each risk.
- Priority action plan (quick wins in 30 days, mid-term in 90).
- Presentation to leadership and implementation monitoring.
Quick Wins for Maximum Impact
- Approved enterprise AI tool for all employees.
- MFA and conditional access.
- Restricting consent for third-party applications.
- Short AI policy and training.
- Verification procedures for transfers against deepfake fraud.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How long does an AI risk assessment take?
- For a small or medium-sized enterprise, it usually takes a few days, including the technical review and report.
- Do we need an assessment if we barely use AI?
- Yes—it often turns out that employees are using it more than management realizes.
- What is the end result?
- A status review, risk assessment, and a concrete action plan with priorities.
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