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Security questionnaire

AI Security Questionnaire Template for Vendor Review

Use this AI security questionnaire template to review vendor data use, model training policy, encryption, access controls, audit logs, retention, compliance evidence, and AI failure handling.

Updated 2026-06-24Security questionnaireBuyer enablement page
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1

Data handling and model training

The first question is whether your data becomes training data or leaves the expected boundary.

  • Ask what customer data is collected, processed, stored, logged, and used for model improvement.
  • Require retention windows, deletion process, subprocessors, region controls, and customer-controlled settings.
  • Ask whether prompts, documents, outputs, embeddings, telemetry, or user feedback are used for training.
2

Access, audit, and operational controls

AI systems need the same identity and evidence discipline as other business systems.

  • Ask about SSO, SCIM, RBAC, admin roles, least privilege, service accounts, and break-glass access.
  • Require audit logs for prompts, files, outputs, approvals, automations, exports, and admin changes.
  • Review encryption, network controls, vulnerability management, incident response, and business continuity.
3

AI-specific risk controls

Generic SaaS questionnaires miss model behavior and automation risk.

  • Ask how the vendor mitigates hallucinations, prompt injection, data leakage, unsafe actions, and model drift.
  • Require human review paths for high-impact workflows and rollback controls for automated actions.
  • Ask for SOC 2, ISO 27001, DPA, pen test summaries, AI governance documentation, and customer security guides.

Checklist

  • The vendor states whether customer content is used for training.
  • The vendor can support SSO, RBAC, audit logs, and admin controls.
  • The vendor documents retention, deletion, subprocessors, and data residency.
  • AI outputs can be reviewed, overridden, exported, and traced.
  • High-risk automations require approval or policy controls.
  • Security evidence is current and reviewed by the right owner.

How to use this template

  1. 1Send this questionnaire before the final demo, not after procurement approval.
  2. 2Mark each answer as pass, concern, blocker, or legal review.
  3. 3Route unresolved data or training-policy questions to security and legal.
  4. 4Attach the final questionnaire to the vendor scorecard.

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FAQ

Questions about this AI template

What security questions should I ask an AI vendor?

Ask how the vendor handles customer data, model training, retention, deletion, subprocessors, access controls, audit logs, encryption, incident response, compliance evidence, hallucination risk, and human review.

Is a normal vendor security questionnaire enough for AI tools?

A normal SaaS questionnaire is not enough. AI tools need extra review for prompts, outputs, embeddings, training-data use, model behavior, automation rights, prompt injection, and data leakage.