How AI evades legacy security controls
Legacy tools protect data at rest and in transit whereas AI interacts with data in use.
Shadow AI = Invisible risk
Employees use personal AI tools like ChatGPT or Grammarly, bypassing IT oversight.
- Only 13% of orgs report good to full visibility into AI usage.
- 67% of users access AI services on corporate devices with non-corporate accounts.
- 49% have little to no visibility into AI usage.
- 57% lack the ability to block or restrict risky AI usage.
The Governance Gap
Unmanaged AI agents via MCP
Model Context Protocol (MCP) gives AI agents access to tools and data. Without governance,that access can silently enable data exposure,
prompt manipulation, and privilege escalation.
Legacy tools can’t see prompts
AI bypasses legacy DLP and DSPM tools by operating outside traditional data channels.
No control over approved tools
Even sanctioned AI platforms often lack guardrails—no prompt-level policies, no data restrictions, and no control over agent behavior.
AI training risks = silent IP loss
Some AI services retain input data to improve their models, unless you opt out. That means confidential prompts may be use
Even enterprise LLMs
Even enterprise LLMs have their gaps
Enterprise versions of GenAI platforms promise added controls, but often still fall short.
Most lack real-time visibility into how employees use the models.
Security policies can’t be enforced at the prompt level, leaving sensitive data exposed.
Audit logs often miss contextual insight into risky behavior or data exposure.
3 questions every CISO should be asking about AI
Closing the visibility gap starts with asking the right questions.
1
Do we know how AI is actually being used by our workforce?
Employees use personal or free-tier AI tools for work—outside IT control.
2
Do existing security tools actually protect us from AI risk?
Legacy tools like DLP and native AI agent controls weren’t built to monitor prompts or outputs, creating security gaps for organizations.
3
What will it take to adopt AI safely?
Consistent policy enforcement and real-time monitoring are critical for governing and scaling responsible AI usage witho
How F5 Workforce AI Security protects public and private AI models
One platform to see, secure, and scale AI—wherever and however it’s used.
Built for AI interactions
Real-time monitoring built for AI prompts, responses, and user behavior—at the network level—no agents or extensions needed.
Vendor-agnostic coverage
Supports any of the AI solutions you build, adopt, or buy securing your full AI ecosystem.
User behavior analytics
Sees patterns across teams, understands user intent, and, spots areas where additional support might be needed.
AI guardrails with a policy-driven approach
Flexible policy system lets you set granular group-based permissions from one central location. You control which data sources and AI models each group can access, giving users access to the appropriate model and data sources to safely boost productivity with AI.
Whether your teams are experimenting with AI or building it into core workflows, Workforce AI Security creates one control plane to secure your AI future.
Governance is becoming a board-level concern
Why enterprises need AI-ready security now
AI threats operate at machine speed. Your security should too.
AI governance that keeps up with innovation
Workforce AI Security provides a future-ready security layer at the network edge, giving you the visibility, control, and compliance needed to scale AI safely.
Monitor AI usage across public, embedded, and internal models
Enforce policies to protect PHI, PII, and IP
Ensure compliance without slowing down innovation
Detect shadow AI and unapproved usage before it creates risk
58% of orgs say responsible AI boosts ROI and efficiency7
55% say it enhances customer experience and innovation7
Ready to move from uncontrolled AI use to secure, scalable adoption?
Discover how F5 can help you secure, govern, and scale AI usage by detecting shadow AI, prompt-level content controls, and protecting sensitive data without disrupting existing workflows.
Visit the F5 AI Security webpage to learn more.
Download the infographicNext steps
1 Cybersecurity Insiders, Cyera 2025 State of AI Data Security Report, September 2025
2 Verizon, 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report, May 2026
3 Omdia, The State of Workforce Security, January 2025
4 Cybernews, AI Trustworthiness Ranking, August 2026
5 Gartner, Gartner Predicts 25% of Enterprise GenAI Apps Will Experience At Least Five Minor Security Incidents per Year By 2028, April 2026
6 IBM, Institute for Business Value, Securing generative AI, May 20246
7 PWC, Responsible AI survey: From policy to practice, October 2025
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