AI vendor assessments: what questions should security teams ask?

TL;DR: AI in vendor and internal software needs explicit procurement scrutiny around opt-in use, data training, documentation, retention, monitoring, and downstream cost exposure, according to Delinea. Procurement teams cannot treat AI as a feature toggle; they need governance gates that surface hidden data, control, and accountability risks before renewal or expansion.

NHIMG editorial — based on content published by Delinea: Essential AI questions for a comprehensive vendor security assessment

Questions worth separating out

Q: How should security teams assess AI features in vendor software before buying?

A: Start with data access, activation controls, retention, training use, and integration scope.

Q: Why do AI vendor assessments need more than a standard security questionnaire?

A: AI changes how data moves, how long it is retained, and whether it may be used to improve a model.

Q: What do security teams get wrong about AI in procurement?

A: They often focus on model capability and ignore governance boundaries.

Practitioner guidance

• Require explicit AI enablement approvals Do not accept AI features that activate by default or through vague product banners.
• Classify AI prompt and output handling as a data-flow review Map where prompts, inputs, outputs, logs, and telemetry are stored, shared, or reused.
• Make training and fine-tuning terms contract-critical Require clear answers on whether customer data is used to train or fine-tune models, whether the instance is dedicated, and whether data can be excluded from training.

What's in the full article

Delinea's full blog covers the operational detail this post intentionally leaves for the source:

• The complete questionnaire language Delinea uses for AI vendor due diligence across procurement and renewal cycles.
• The vendor-specific distinctions Delinea draws between internal AI use and customer-facing AI features.
• The full list of assessment prompts on training, retention, third-party sharing, and output monitoring.
• The context behind Delinea's own governance approach to AI use in its products and internal functions.

👉 Read Delinea's full AI vendor security assessment questions →

AI vendor assessments: what questions should security teams ask?

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