Salt Lake City Manufacturers Are at Risk of Leaking Sensitive Data Through AI Tools
AI is the hot topic on every trade floor right now. Tools like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Google Gemini are everywhere—helping with emails, creating content, summarizing meetings, even assisting with quoting and production schedules.
Used right, artificial intelligence can be a major productivity boost. But here’s the problem: it’s also opening up dangerous new cybersecurity gaps in Salt Lake City’s manufacturing sector.
The concern isn’t AI itself—it’s how your team might be using it.
Here's The Real Issue
Say one of your engineers copies specs from a SolidWorks file or part of an RFP into ChatGPT to "make a summary." That data just left your secure environment. Public AI tools often store that information, which means it could end up being used to train future models. Worse, it could be exposed.
This isn’t hypothetical. In 2023, Samsung engineers accidentally leaked proprietary code through ChatGPT. It got so bad, they banned all public AI tools inside the company.
Now imagine a machinist on your team pasting CMMC audit findings or quoting data into an AI platform without realizing it. That’s how sensitive manufacturing data ends up in the wrong hands.
The Hidden Threat: Prompt Injection
If that wasn’t enough, hackers have a new trick: prompt injection.
They embed malicious instructions inside documents, transcripts, or PDFs. When an AI tool processes that content, it can be manipulated into revealing data or carrying out actions it shouldn’t.
Bottom line? The AI ends up helping the hacker—without anyone realizing it.
Why Salt Lake City Manufacturers Are Especially Vulnerable
Here’s the thing: most local manufacturers don’t yet have guardrails around AI usage. And while your operations manager might see AI as just another smart tool, your team could be unknowingly leaking pricing, designs, or client data into open platforms.
Without clear IT policies or cybersecurity training in place, you're running blind. And in a compliance-heavy environment like aerospace or medical device manufacturing, that exposure could cost you contracts.
What You Can Do Right Now
You don’t have to ditch AI entirely. But you do need to take control. Here are four steps manufacturers can take immediately:
- Create an AI Usage Policy
Define which tools are approved, what data should never be shared, and who to go to when questions arise. This should be part of your broader IT services documentation.
- Train Your Team
Make sure machinists, engineers, schedulers, and support staff know what AI tools can and can’t do safely. Explain risks like prompt injection in plain English.
- Use Secure, Business-Grade Platforms
Stick with tools like Microsoft Copilot that offer enterprise-grade controls and privacy settings. Avoid generic free tools on public domains.
- Monitor and Control Usage
Work with your IT provider to track which AI platforms are being used and consider blocking public AI sites on company networks and shop floor devices.
The Bottom Line
AI isn’t going anywhere. But if you’re a Salt Lake City manufacturer relying on outdated IT security, or if your MSP isn’t talking to you about this, you’re wide open to the next wave of cyber threats.
At Qual IT, we specialize in managed IT services for Salt Lake City manufacturers. That includes cybersecurity policies, endpoint security, and cloud-based protection tailored to your shop floor reality.
Let’s make sure your AI tools aren’t training attackers.
Click here to book your free network assessment and we’ll walk through it all—plain talk, no fluff, and no finger-pointing. Just the protection your business needs to stay sharp, secure, and in control.
