AI Security Questionnaire: Risk Assessment Questions for AI Vendors
An AI security questionnaire should help a team decide whether an AI vendor or workflow can be approved, not just whether the vendor has a polished trust page. The questions need to cover data access, model behavior, retention, vendor controls, logging, privacy, human review, and incident response evidence.
This page focuses on reviewing AI vendors and tools before adoption. If you need the interactive version, start with GreenHat's AI Risk Questionnaire and use this guide to understand why each question matters.
Start with the data the AI can touch
Every AI vendor risk assessment should begin with data. Ask what data the system receives, whether prompts or files are retained, where processing occurs, who can access logs, and whether customer data is used for model training. If the vendor cannot clearly explain the data lifecycle, the security review is not ready to move on.
The strongest answers include evidence: data flow diagrams, subprocessors, retention schedules, training-use commitments, privacy assessments, and incident response procedures. A vague 'we do not use your data' answer is not the same as a documented control.
Separate model claims from control evidence
AI vendors often describe accuracy, productivity, or automation benefits before they explain the controls around the system. Security teams should ask how the model is monitored, how unsafe output is handled, how changes are reviewed, and how the vendor detects misuse. The goal is to connect model behavior to operational ownership.
For higher-risk deployments, GreenHat's Virtual CISO services can help turn AI vendor answers into risk decisions, compensating controls, and executive-ready recommendations.
- What data is processed, stored, retained, or used for training?
- Which employees, subprocessors, or models can access customer data?
- How are prompts, outputs, and admin actions logged?
- What human approval is required before sensitive actions occur?
- How does the vendor respond to model misuse, data leakage, or account compromise?
Review access and delegated actions
AI tools that only summarize low-risk public data require a different review than tools that connect to email, code repositories, CRM systems, ticketing queues, or production data. The questionnaire should identify where the vendor can read, draft, approve, write, export, or trigger a workflow on behalf of a user.
This is where AI risk starts to look like third-party risk, identity risk, and application security at the same time. Teams should review permissions, least privilege, revocation, audit logs, and whether the AI integration can bypass controls that normally apply to human users.
If the tool can plan, browse, call APIs, move data, or take action for a user, use the Agentic AI Security Guide next so delegated access, tool permissions, prompt injection, and human approval paths are reviewed before deployment.
Make the approval decision explicit
A useful AI security questionnaire should end with a decision. Approved, approved with conditions, blocked, or accepted by leadership should be documented with the reason. That decision should include the risk owner, required follow-up, contract language, and review date.
If your team needs help deciding which AI vendor gaps matter, contact GreenHat before the tool becomes part of a customer-facing or sensitive workflow.
Use the interactive AI questionnaire
The browser-based GreenHat questionnaire gives teams a structured way to evaluate AI vendors and implementations across security, privacy, ethics, compliance, data lifecycle, and incident response.
Related GreenHat Resources
GreenHat Link
AI Risk Questionnaire
Interactive questionnaire for AI vendor and implementation reviews.
GreenHat Link
Vendor Security Questionnaire
General vendor risk template for third-party security reviews.
GreenHat Link
Agentic AI Security Guide
Use this guide when AI vendors can browse, call tools, move data, or act for users.
GreenHat Link
Virtual CISO Services
Security leadership for vendor risk, customer reviews, and AI governance.
Source and further reading
This GreenHat page cites AI Risk Is The New Cybersecurity: How To Start Asking Tough Questions from Forbes Tech Council. Read the original source.