ChatGPT took the world by storm at its prototype launch in 2022. Within 5 days of launch it had over a million users, and it set the record as the world’s fastest growing platform when it crossed the 100 million user mark less than two months later.
And the buzz isn’t unwarranted. ChatGPT has set the bar for user-friendly AI, and even behemoths like Google are scrambling to keep up. But as businesses continue to find viable use cases for ChatGPT, questions about security and privacy loom large.
Is ChatGPT safe for Businesses to Use?
Can ChatGPT be used to create malware or launch other cyberattacks? What are my options for keeping my business’s data secure while using ChatGPT? Below we will explore the security concerns that ChatGPT has raised, and discuss how you can use ChatGPT to optimize business processes while still maintaining your business’s privacy and security.
But first, what are the most common ways businesses can use ChatGPT to their benefit?
How to Use ChatGPT for Business
So far, the opportunities ChatGPT provides businesses are numerous and varied. From developing and supporting marketing efforts to creating usable code, ChatGPT’s business use cases make it an ideal AI partner.
Uses For ChatGPT
Creating Content
Whether you’re developing marketing materials or internal communications, ChatGPT is an excellent content creator. It can develop everything from one-off social posts and proposed blog topics to options for A/B testing. It can even help you with SEO keywords and metadata suggestions. This can save your team valuable time, but keep in mind ChatGPT’s output will only be as good as the input it’s given. You’ll need to have a good human editor on your team to curate ChatGPT’s content.
Automating Research
When you need answers fast, ChatGPT’s AI engine is ideal for performing initial research. It can dig into topics and provide detailed responses in seconds. However, just like any other information you find online, ChatGPT does need to be fact-checked for accuracy. There are a growing number of accounts of ChatGPT providing misleading information. The hope is that ChatGPT will become more accurate as it “learns” and matures, but at this stage it should only be used to support your own research efforts or provide an informational starting point.
Checking Code
Beyond its verbal and informational abilities, ChatGPT has proved itself to be a coder. With the right prompts, it can create such accurate code it can be copied, pasted, and implemented immediately. It can also be used to find gaps or errors in existing code. However, because of these uncanny coding abilities, there are concerns that ChatGPT could be used to develop malware or other security-breaching measures. More on that later.
Developing Customized Chatbots
If you’re a business with a website, you likely have a chatbot to help direct customers and improve engagement. ChatGPT’s verbal abilities make it the ideal chatbot, as it interacts conversationally and adapts quickly. You can add the OpenAI library to your business’s chat function, which allows users to interact with ChatGPT through your website’s chatbot.
As you can see, ChatGPT has proven to be a valuable partner for marketing, lead nurturing, back end development, and more. But as with any other type of new technology, it’s not without its drawbacks.
ChatGPT Security Implications
We’ve seen the benefits of ChatGPT. But what are the potential security risks of ChatGPT?
For starters, there have been accounts of ChatGPT being used to create malicious code. The malware created with ChatGPT can be used to steal sensitive information, decrypt data, or covertly run unauthorized programs.
ChatGPT has even been used to develop sophisticated phishing attacks. ChatGPT is adept at mimicking tone and style, so in the wrong hands, it can easily be manipulated to create phishing emails designed to smuggle in harmful code or trick recipients into exposing sensitive information.
Apart from deliberate misuse, ChatGPT can also give rise to accidental security compromises. Studies show employees feeding ChatGPT proprietary information could potentially cause data breaches if proper security measures aren’t in place.
For example, providing ChatGPT with client information and asking it to craft a marketing email may seem like an efficient way to reach customers, but you never know where that info will end up. In general, with platforms like ChatGPT, it’s best not to provide any information that may compromise privacy.
How to Stay Safe When Using ChatGPT
While ChatGPT has its pros and cons, at the end of the day, it is just like any other tool: it can be used for good or bad. It doesn’t discriminate in the information it provides. It’s up to you to ensure you and your team are educated and following security protocols so company data is kept safe.
ChatGPT Security Safeguards to Keep in Mind
- Penetration testing (commonly known as pentesting) is more important than ever. This type of testing looks for gaps in your security measures to surface weaknesses and needs to be performed regularly to continually improve security.
- Don’t feed ChatGPT sensitive data. Make sure everyone is aware ChatGPT isn’t a secure environment, and client information or other sensitive data should never be input into ChatGPT.
- Perform regular security training. The best security measure is information. Keep your employees up to date on security risks through regular training. This will help them identify and report phishing scams, and remind them how important it is to keep company data secure.
- Provide your own rigorous security measures and continually optimize. From dual-factor authentication to anti-malware software to encrypted servers, putting security safeguards in place needs to be priority number one for your business. Once these protections are in place you can upgrade and optimize as needed, but without rigid security measures and protocols, you leave yourself (and by extension, your clients) open to losses.
Enhance Your Security With the Help of Complete Technology
If you’re concerned your cyber security measures aren’t enough to defend against online threats, talk to a Complete Technology pro. They can assess your technology to find any gaps and advise you on the best course of action.
Get in touch with a Complete Technology expert today, or download our free cybersecurity e-book to stay on top of the latest in cyber security.
