Everyday AI · Safety & Security
Keep work and company files private
Do you want AI to help with a work document, client file or internal price?
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AI narration · English · Prompt text stays on the page
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What to do
- Check your workplace rules first. If a file is marked confidential, internal, or for clients only, do not paste it into a public AI chat.
- Remove client names, employee records, unreleased prices, contracts, source code, API keys, passwords and customer lists. Use placeholders such as [client] or [internal price].
- Share only the small section needed, or rewrite the problem in your own words with made-up numbers.
- Do not upload the original and ask AI to hide the secrets. The file has already been sent.
Try this prompt
Describe the work problem with placeholders. Do not paste the real company file.
Help me decide what I can safely extract or rewrite for an AI task WITHOUT exposing unnecessary company/client information.
MY TASK
[SUMMARIZE / REWRITE / EXPLAIN / EXTRACT ACTIONS / OTHER]
Document type: [CONTRACT / REPORT / CUSTOMER FILE / INTERNAL NOTE / CODE / OTHER]
Known company policy on AI/external tools: [PASTE RELEVANT POLICY / UNKNOWN]
BEFORE SHARING CONTENT
Classify information as:
1. Necessary for the task.
2. Can be generalized/redacted.
3. Should not be shared without authorization.
4. Unknown — check company policy/owner first.
Watch for client/customer personal data, employee data, credentials/secrets, financial/account information, unreleased business plans, pricing, contracts, source code, security details, internal links/tokens and third-party confidential information.
RULES
- Do not assume a file is safe because it lacks a “Confidential” label.
- Do not assume redaction overrides company policy, NDA, client obligations or access restrictions.
- Never ask for passwords, API keys, tokens or full sensitive records.
- Prefer a synthetic/minimal excerpt when it can accomplish the task.
- Do not upload, share, move or modify files.
OUTPUT
1. Minimum information needed.
2. Redact/generalize list.
3. Do-not-share / authorization-needed list.
4. A synthetic or privacy-minimized prompt/template I can use instead.
5. Policy questions to resolve before using an AI service.
If company policy is unknown, say so and keep the recommendation conservative.See a sample result
Illustrative example. Your answer may differ.
Input (illustrative): Task: write a short follow-up email. Details: [client] asked when [product] can ship; we can send a status update on Friday; price is [internal price]. Example result: “We can send a shipping status update on Friday. I will not include an internal price unless you confirm it is approved to share.”
Before you use it: If you are not allowed to send the file outside the company, do not send it to ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini. Google also warns not to enter confidential information in Gemini chats.
Philippine notes
- The PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group advises against putting confidential workplace information into AI tools when the tool does not need it.
- Customer and employee personal data is also covered by the Data Privacy Act. Ask your supervisor or data protection officer when the rule is unclear.
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