AI Security for Austin Firms

Is Your Firm Ready for AI
or Exposed by It?

Your staff is already using AI tools. The question is whether your firm controls what's happening with client data — or finds out after something goes wrong.

Why This Matters Now

The window to get ahead of this is still open. It won't stay open forever.

Bar associations in more than 30 states have issued AI ethics guidance. Malpractice carriers are adding AI governance questions to renewal questionnaires. ABA Formal Opinion 512 establishes clear duties around competence, confidentiality, and supervision of AI tools. Staff have been using AI tools for months before anyone asks what's happening to the client data inside them.

79%of legal professionals now use AI tools at work — Clio 2024 Legal Trends Report
44%of law firms still have no formal AI governance policy despite widespread adoption
16%of business-critical files are overshared and accessible to Copilot by default
What We Find

The AI risks most firms don't see coming

These problems don't announce themselves. Here's what consistently shows up inside small professional services firms on Microsoft 365.

Shadow AI

Staff Using AI Without You Knowing

ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity — used daily to draft, summarize, and answer questions. When client data goes into those tools, it leaves your environment. Most firms have zero visibility into this.

Copilot Oversharing

Copilot Can See More Than It Should

Copilot surfaces content from whatever a user can already access. Research shows 16% of business-critical files are overshared. In most small firms, SharePoint permissions have never been reviewed.

Governance Gap

No Policy Means No Protection

Without a written AI governance policy you can't train staff, enforce rules, or demonstrate to your malpractice carrier that you took reasonable steps. Most small firms have no policy at all.

Prompt Injection

AI Can Be Tricked Into Leaking Data

Attackers embed hidden instructions inside documents or emails. When your AI reads that content, it follows the instructions. Courts have already sanctioned attorneys for AI-related failures.

Agentic AI

AI That Acts on Its Own

Copilot agents can now send emails, book meetings, and read files without human input. Most firms don't know which agents are active in their tenant or what permissions they hold.

Data Exfiltration

Client Data Leaving Without a Trace

Every time someone pastes a client document into a public AI tool, that data leaves your environment. Standard email security doesn't catch it. It happens silently every day without specific controls.

Our Services

How we fix it

Three focused engagements built for small professional services firms. No enterprise contracts, no vague scope.

1

AI Governance Risk Check

We look inside your Microsoft 365 environment and tell you exactly what's happening — what AI tools are being used, what data they can reach, and what needs to be fixed.

  • Shadow AI detection across your M365 environment
  • Copilot readiness review — what can it access today
  • Permissions audit identifying overshared files
  • Executive summary suitable for partners, clients, or your carrier
$795 — credited toward your first project if hired within 60 days
2

AI Governance Policy

A written AI policy built specifically for your firm — not a generic template. Built around your industry, tools, staff, and the compliance obligations that actually apply to you.

  • Acceptable use policy covering the tools your staff actually uses
  • Approved and prohibited tool list organized by role and data type
  • Client data handling rules written in plain language
  • Written to satisfy bar association, carrier, and client inquiry requirements
$2,500–$5,000 fixed scope
3

Safe Copilot Deployment

Get your Microsoft 365 environment into a state where Copilot can be trusted — cleaning up permissions, applying controls, and training staff before anyone turns it on.

  • Full permissions cleanup before Copilot accesses anything
  • Sensitivity labels applied to confidential client files
  • Agentic AI controls limiting what Copilot agents can do
  • Staff training on responsible use and prompt injection awareness
$3,500–$6,000 fixed scope

Note: Microsoft Copilot licenses are purchased through your Microsoft tenant. We handle configuration and governance — we don't resell licenses.

Plain English

Terms you'll start hearing

Shadow AI

Any AI tool being used by staff without IT approval or visibility. Most staff don't think twice about pasting a document into ChatGPT. That's shadow AI and it's happening at most firms right now.

AI Governance

The policies and controls that define how AI tools can be used at your firm, what data they're allowed to touch, and who's accountable when something goes wrong.

Prompt Injection

A real attack where hidden instructions are embedded inside content your AI processes. The AI follows them without the user realizing. Courts have already sanctioned attorneys for AI-related failures.

Copilot Oversharing

When Microsoft Copilot surfaces files a user technically has access to but was never meant to see — because SharePoint permissions were never properly reviewed. Copilot doesn't bypass security — it just makes oversharing visible at machine speed.

Agentic AI

AI that takes actions on its own rather than just answering questions. Copilot agents can send emails, book meetings, and read files without human input. Most firms have no idea which agents are active or what permissions they hold.

Data Exfiltration

Client data leaving your firm without authorization. When staff use external AI tools with confidential information, that data is transmitted to third-party servers outside your control.

Common Questions

Frequently asked questions

We don't use Copilot. Do we still need to worry?

Yes. The more immediate problem is shadow AI — the tools your staff are already using without anyone tracking them. ChatGPT, Gemini, and similar tools are the first thing we look for. Copilot readiness is a separate conversation.

Our malpractice carrier is asking about AI governance. Can you help?

That's exactly what the AI governance policy is designed for. The deliverable is a written document you can hand directly to your carrier, clients, or bar association.

How long does the assessment take?

About 90 minutes live inside your Microsoft 365 tenant — we navigate the admin center directly with you or your IT contact. Written report delivered within 48 hours. No changes are made to your environment during the review.

Will this slow us down or disrupt the office?

No. We're live in your tenant but view-only — we navigate your admin center to see exactly what's configured, but we don't modify anything. Any changes are scoped separately and scheduled at your convenience.

Not sure where your firm stands on AI risk?

Start with a consultation. We'll tell you what we'd look for and give you an honest picture of where most Austin firms are right now.

Straight answers first. Scope and recommendations second.