AI Security Hub
03AI Security Pillar

Context and Retrieval Control

Control which documents, records, and knowledge sources an AI system can access and use.

Business focus

Limit what AI can retrieve

Why it matters

Security starts with a defined business boundary

Context and retrieval controls apply existing permissions to AI search, keep client information separated, and preserve evidence about the sources used in an answer.

Business risk

An AI assistant should not gain broader access than the person using it. Weak retrieval controls can expose another client's documents, stale procedures, restricted records, or deleted information.

What this pillar covers
  • Document filtering and approved sources
  • Role-based retrieval authorization
  • RAG source validation and provenance
  • Context isolation between users or clients
Launch reading list

Start with these practical guides

Each pillar begins with one anchor guide and two supporting articles. Published guides become active automatically as they enter the blog.

Publishing soon

RAG Security: How to Protect the Documents Behind Business AI

Treat retrieval as a governed data-access workflow rather than only an accuracy feature.

Part of the launch series
Publishing soon

Vector Database Security: Protecting the Data Behind AI Search

Protect embeddings, metadata, credentials, indexes, and retrieval permissions.

Part of the launch series
Publishing soon

AI Data Provenance and Lineage: Building a Traceable Evidence Trail

Record where AI data came from, how it changed, and where it was used.

Part of the launch series

Questions for leadership

  • Does retrieval enforce the user's existing permissions?
  • How are client and tenant records kept separate?
  • Can a reviewer identify the sources used for an answer?
  • How quickly do deletions and permission changes reach the AI index?
Practical control checklist

Put the pillar into practice

  1. 1Approve each source before adding it to retrieval.
  2. 2Enforce authorization at query time, not only during ingestion.
  3. 3Attach ownership, sensitivity, tenant, and retention metadata.
  4. 4Test cross-client and cross-role isolation.
  5. 5Log retrieved sources and remove stale or deleted content.
Review a real workflow

Turn this pillar into operating controls

Map the data, access, approvals, monitoring, and evidence around one important AI use case before expanding it.

Explore the diagnostic