20 Effective Ways To Safeguard Your Business's IP

Forbes

27-06-2025

The protection of intellectual property in a constantly shifting business environment is a growing priority for business leaders. As technology continues to rapidly advance and new tools are released on a consistent basis, determining how to best tackle cybersecurity threats and a lack of regulations for AI use is essential to keeping sensitive information and valuable IP safe for the long term.
The members of Forbes Business Council have experience navigating the challenges of building and leveraging emerging and unregulated technology. Below, 20 of them share strategies they are employing to better protect their intellectual property amid growing cybersecurity threats and unregulated AI use.
1. Implement Proactive Protective Measures
We've successfully mitigated intellectual property risks, such as data scraping, deepfakes, impersonation scams involving our logo, and insider threats, by implementing digital watermarking, AI-driven monitoring and real-time threat detection. These measures are essential for safeguarding intellectual property and brand integrity in today's environment. - Bojan Ilic, Swiss Security Solutions LLC
2. Build IP Awareness Throughout The Company
Embed IP awareness into onboarding processes and the business culture. Every team member should know what's at stake. We watermark internal assets with invisible markers and use decoy data in AI training environments to test for leaks. It's not just tech defenses that keep IP safer, but mindset and habits, too. - Sam Nelson, Downstreet Digital
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3. Establish Detailed Instructions
Provide specific job instructions. It may seem obvious, but you'd be surprised to learn that people might wipe a monitor with a harsh cloth or use unauthorized plugins, data decoders or free AI tools. We rely on two things: strict access levels (for example, devs don't get domain access) and more than 100 living SOPs that we constantly update as new 'surprises' pop up. - Mykola Lukashuk, Marketing Link LLC
4. Set Up Real Barriers
In my experience managing digital IP, setting up real barriers, like segmented access levels, watermarked assets and AI detection tools, has made a big difference. We block unauthorized scraping, limit tool permissions and flag unusual usage patterns. These checks help catch issues early and keep our creative work protected across teams. - Andrew Lopez, 1000 Media
5. Hold Regular Training Sessions
Regular staff training has been key, as human error is often the weakest link. We also use strict access controls and review AI tools before adoption. Companies should focus on education, implement clear usage policies and stay proactive. Protecting IP today means blending smart tech with smarter habits. - Braden Yuill, Virtual Coworker
6. Establish A Zero-Trust Security Model
Companies can implement a zero-trust security model, verifying every user and device before granting access. Coupled with robust data encryption and strict access controls, this minimizes breach risks. Establish clear internal policies for unregulated AI, monitor sensitive data handling and implement regular audits. While I don't have experience with breaches, these layered strategies are crucial defenses. - Jay Patel, OSI Systems
7. Hire An IP Attorney
This is where your A-team comes into play. Amid growing concerns about our company's IP, we've chosen to hire a top-notch IP attorney who helps oversee the areas we overlook. It's important to involve your IP attorney early on during the design or conceptual phase to ensure efforts are not unintentionally misguided. You get what you pay for, and it's worth hiring an extra set of qualified eyes and ears! - Pam Scamardo, TPK Properties LLC
8. Segregate Core IP
We protect trade secrets by splitting core intellectual property, such as algorithms or formulas, into encrypted microservices accessed only via APIs with role-based controls. Using zero-knowledge architecture, no single system or team holds the full IP, reducing the risk of breaches and preserving confidentiality even in AI-driven environments. - Krutarth Shah, Avon River Ventures
9. Implement Strict Access Control And AI Policies
We protect our IP with strict access controls and clear AI usage policies. We limit sensitive data access, restrict external AI tools and train our team to avoid accidental leaks. Treating AI risks like cybersecurity threats has been key to protecting our assets while supporting innovation. - Brett Husak, PayBlox
10. Develop An AI Review Process
Create a process for reviewing and clearing AI outputs, and implement clear policies. Additionally, implementing multifactor authentication can help secure AI models against unauthorized access. In-house privacy teams should also expand their focus to streamline processes and controls while adapting to AI-related risks and regulations. - Adam Povlitz, Anago Cleaning Systems
11. Build A Comprehensive Cybersecurity Framework
One effective approach is the implementation of a comprehensive cybersecurity framework that integrates advanced encryption techniques and regular security audits. This strategy not only fortifies digital infrastructure, but also ensures that sensitive information remains confidential and protected from unauthorized access. - Veena Jetti, Vive Funds
12. Combine Security Protocols With Employee Education
One effective way to protect intellectual property amid rising cybersecurity threats and unregulated AI use is to implement multilayered security protocols combined with continuous employee education. In my experience building AML and RegTech software, pairing advanced technological safeguards with regular training and clear policies creates a resilient defense. - Khurram Akhtar, Programmers Force
13. Limit Data Put Into Third-Party Tools
One thing I've done to protect IP in the age of AI and rising cyberthreats is limiting what goes into third-party tools. Not every prompt or file needs to go through a chatbot or cloud platform. We set clear internal guidelines on what can be shared, where and with whom. IP protection today isn't just legal; it's operational. Discipline at the input level is your first real line of defense. - Romain Pison, NoviCarbon
14. Build An Internal AI Sandbox
We've built our own sandbox AI environment. It's internally hosted, completely separate from production systems and intentionally dumbed down for safety. That way, people can explore and test ideas without ever touching real customer data or IP. It's more work up front, but it gives us room to experiment without putting the business at risk. - Ran Ronen, Equally AI
15. Leverage Patents
One of the most effective ways to protect intellectual property is still the classic approach—patents. If you've developed something original, secure it legally. A properly filed patent remains one of the strongest defenses, regardless of AI advancements or cybersecurity threats. No AI can override legal ownership when your rights are protected on paper. - Jekaterina Beljankova, WALLACE s.r.o
16. Integrate AI Governance
One powerful way companies can protect their intellectual property is by proactively integrating AI governance into their cybersecurity strategies. That means clearly defining who can access sensitive data and how AI tools are used internally and putting strong digital rights management in place. Too many companies treat IP protection like an IT problem, but it's actually a leadership issue. - Magda Paslaru, THE RAINBOWIDEA
17. Mitigate The Human Element Of Breaches
IP protection starts with people, since the human element accounts for roughly 60% of breaches. Tight access and clear audit trails would help. For example, ensure engineers see only the code they own, every build has an invisible watermark, and GenAI prompts get logged. This shrinks the blast radius if a password leaks, while watermarks and logs give us forensic proof should proprietary code ever surface elsewhere. - Alvin Kan, Bitget Wallet
18. Collaborate Across Departments And Adopt Digital Watermarking
Effective IP protection demands cross-departmental collaboration involving IT, HR, security, legal teams and so on. A practical solution may include adopting digital watermarking, a technology that embeds invisible identifiers into AI models, documents, datasets and other assets. The markers can help organizations monitor usage patterns, trace access points or identify unauthorized distribution. - Anton Alikov, Arctic Ventures
19. Embed Digital Markers Into Your IP
Beyond firewalls, we practice active IP scenting. We embed unique, inert digital markers—our 'canaries'—deep within core code and sensitive docs. If these 'scents' appear where they shouldn't, like in an AI's output or a leaked file, it is an instant alert. This strategy once caught an AI tool scraping our private data, turning our IP defense from passive hope to an active, early warning. It's all about proactive vigilance. - Oleg Levitas, Pravda SEO Inc., Real Results SEO Inc.
20. Consider Hiring Cybersecurity Services
A client of mine provides cybersecurity services. Once someone is breached, they restore operations, handle ransomware threats and then implement a set of advisory services to help prevent another incident. I've learned that the best way to protect clients' IP and operations is to view the expense of constant vigilance as 'insurance' with great ROI potential for growth-oriented leaders. - Jerry Cahn, Age Brilliantly