Finance teams are rightly excited about AI. It can speed up data entry, matching and categorization. It also means your financial data, some of the most sensitive information your business holds, may pass through new systems. Before you hand your books to any provider, you need clear answers on how that data is protected.
1. Is our data masked before it reaches an AI model?
Identifiable details such as names, account numbers and tax IDs should be removed or masked before any AI-assisted step. Ask the provider to explain exactly what gets masked, when and how. If they cannot describe it simply, that is a warning sign.
2. Who reviews the AI output?
AI makes mistakes. Some of them look very confident. A real person should review every AI-assisted output before it reaches you. Ask who that person is, what they check and whether AI is ever allowed to post or approve entries on its own. The right answer is no.
3. Where is our data stored and under what certifications?
Ask where your data lives, which tools touch it and what security standards the provider holds. Recognized certifications such as ISO 27001 or a SOC 2 report show that controls have been independently checked. Also ask whether staff work on company-managed devices inside controlled environments rather than personal laptops.
A certification is only useful if it is current and covers the services you are buying. Ask for the certificate or report. Then check the scope and dates.
4. Can access be removed immediately?
You should control who can see your systems. Ask whether access is given to named individuals, whether it is role-based and how quickly it can be removed when someone leaves the team or the engagement ends. Also ask what happens to your data at the end of the relationship: is it returned, deleted and confirmed in writing?
5. Is there an audit trail?
Every access and every change should be logged. If an entry looks wrong six months from now, you need to know who made it, when and based on what source. Logged access is also what your auditors will expect to see.
Want to see our controls?
Book a call and we will walk you through our ISO 27001 controls, access rules and AI safeguards before you sign anything.
Red flags to watch for
- Shared logins instead of named user accounts
- Vague answers about which AI tools are used
- No clear process for human review
- No written policy for data deletion at the end of an engagement
- Certifications that are out of date or do not cover the service
Your quick checklist
Five questions, five clear answers
- Data is masked before any AI-assisted step
- A real person reviews every output
- Data storage and certifications are documented
- Access is named, role-based and removable at any time
- Every access and change is logged
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers to what people ask us before they hand over the work.
What certifications should a finance provider have?
Look for recognized, independently checked standards such as ISO 27001 or a SOC 2 report. Make sure they cover the service you are buying.
Should AI ever see our raw financial data?
Identifiable details should be masked before any AI-assisted step. Ask your provider exactly what is masked and when.
What should happen to our data when we stop working with a provider?
Your files should be returned, access to your systems removed and your data deleted from the provider's environments, with written confirmation.
Who should control access to our systems?
You should. Access should go to named people with the right role, be logged and be removable by you at any time.
The bottom line
AI can make your back office faster and more accurate. That only holds inside the right guardrails. A good provider will answer these five questions clearly and without hesitation. If they cannot, keep looking.