AI Features Introduce New Attack Surfaces
When you add AI to a web product, you add new risks:
- Prompt injection
- Data exfiltration via tool calls
- Sensitive context leakage
- Abuse-driven cost spikes
Security must be designed upfront.
Security Controls by Layer
Prompt Layer
- Explicit policy instructions
- Delimiter-based context boundaries
- Refusal paths for dangerous requests
Tool Layer
- Tool allowlist
- Argument validation
- Resource-level authorization
Output Layer
- Content moderation
- PII redaction
- Response sanitization
Operational Controls
- Per-user rate limits
- Cost ceilings per request
- Abuse detection signals
- Alerting on unusual token usage
Security includes financial abuse protection.
Incident Readiness
Prepare before launch:
- Structured logs for traces and tool calls
- Playbook for model misuse incidents
- Fast kill-switch for high-risk endpoints
Final Thought
Secure AI features are not built by one filter. They are built by layered controls, clear permissions, and strong operational practices.