Interview with Steve Tait: Chief Technology Officer at Skyhigh Security
In an era where artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being integrated into business operations, Skyhigh Security, a leading cloud-native cybersecurity company based in San Jose, California, is taking significant strides to secure sensitive data in AI applications, particularly corporate copilots.
The company, headed by Steve Tait, Chief Technology Officer with over 25 years of experience across cybersecurity, defense, financial services, and healthcare sectors, has already implemented controls on Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT Enterprise, with plans to extend these measures further throughout 2025.
Recent statistics indicate that 94% of AI applications carry a risk of unintentional data exfiltration, with 11% of files uploaded to AI being sensitive. This raises concerns about employees unknowingly uploading sensitive corporate data into AI copilots or large language models (LLMs) without the usual cautions involved in traditional data sharing.
To address this issue, Skyhigh Security offers a comprehensive Security Service Edge (SSE) platform that unifies solutions such as CASB, Secure Web Gateway, Zero Trust Private Access, CNAPP, DLP, and Remote Browser Isolation. The company's primary focus is on preventing unintentional data exfiltration in AI applications by implementing advanced Data Loss Prevention (DLP) strategies tailored for AI environments.
Skyhigh Security's approach combines security policy, user training, and technological defenses with advanced DLP to safeguard corporate data effectively in AI-driven workflows. The company emphasizes real-time data protection and threat prevention, targeted blocking of risky AI applications, integrated, tailored DLP solutions, advanced AI and machine learning in DLP, and providing visibility and forensic evidence through retained evidence files of policy violations.
Steve Tait noted that data uploaded to LLMs has increased by 80% recently, with many enterprises using hundreds of AI applications, often unknowingly. He highlighted how traditional file sharing triggers more conscious caution, whereas the casual pasting of data into AI copilots is effortless but risky.
In 2026, Skyhigh Security is looking to focus more on prompt control to secure against malicious prompts, jailbreaking, and other key LLM risks. The company is also looking to increase discovery, visibility, and extend Data Loss Prevention techniques to AI, particularly for major copilot applications.
As businesses continue to embrace AI for optimizing and streamlining human decision-making processes, Skyhigh Security's focus on data loss prevention for AI applications is a vital step towards ensuring the security and compliance of corporate data in the AI-driven world.
Skyhigh Security, under the guidance of Steve Tait, is implementing controls on AI applications like Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT Enterprise to safeguard sensitive data, with plans to extend these measures throughout 2025 due to the high risk of unintentional data exfiltration in AI applications (94% according to recent statistics). The company's comprehensive Security Service Edge (SSE) platform, which includes advanced Data Loss Prevention (DLP) strategies tailored for AI environments, is designed to prevent unintentional data exfiltration in AI applications.
