Unchecked AI in the workplace quickly becomes a massive loophole for data leaks and security breaches. All too often, employees drop sensitive company data into public chatbots, or install rogue AI assistants on their own — in the process handing over way too much access. In a previous post, we broke down the different types of risky AI systems, and later shared some tips on how to turn off the built-in AI features on major tech platforms. Today let’s take a look at practical ways to block or restrict the unauthorized “helpers” employees might be using — from ChatGPT and Grammarly, to meeting bots like Fireflies and Read AI.

How to detect and restrict ChatGPT

ChatGPT is the biggest culprit when it comes to unauthorized AI use worldwide. A quick word of warning, though: an outright ban only sends users hunting for sketchy third-party sites or messaging app chatbots that hook into the same service. That’s why it’s always a good idea to offer an approved alternative before pulling the plug.

Detecting it: keep an eye on the NGFW or web filter for traffic heading to chat.openai.com, chatgpt.com, oaistatic.com, oaiusercontent.com, or cdn.oaistatic.com. It’s also smart to use EDR/EPP tools to scan browser histories, installed apps, and browser extensions across corporate devices.

Locking it down: use the firewall or web filter to block the entire AI Services category, and set up DNS to reroute traffic away from those OpenAI domains. Browser policies can also be used to ban ChatGPT-powered extensions. Better yet, block all extensions not on a pre-approved allowlist. Finally, use application controls and EPP solutions to stop users from installing the official desktop app (ChatGPT.exe or com.openai.chat).

How to detect and restrict Claude and Claude Code

Detecting it: use the NGFW or web filter to track traffic going to claude.ai, anthropic.com, *.anthropic.com, and api.anthropic.com. EDR/EPP or application control tools can also be used to scan employee computers for the desktop app (claude.exe).

Locking it down: drop a blanket block on the AI Services category through the NGFW or web filter, and tweak DNS settings to reroute traffic away from the aforementioned Anthropic domains. Next, use browser policies to shut down Claude-powered extensions. Finally, use application controls and the EPP platform to prevent users from installing the desktop app.

How to detect and restrict Perplexity AI

Detecting it: keep tabs on the NGFW or web filter to flag any traffic heading to *.perplexity.ai or pplx.ai.

Locking it down: just like the others, add the AI Services category to the NGFW or web filter blocklist, and use DNS routing to redirect traffic away from those domains.

Configure the browser to block third-party extensions from being installed. If Firefox is used in the organization, be aware that recent versions come with Perplexity built in. Luckily, these AI features can be turned-off company-wide using enterprise policies — specifically, by setting SidebarChatbot = blocked. The full list of tweaks can be found in the Firefox documentation.

How to detect and restrict DeepSeek

Detecting it: keep an eye on the NGFW or web filter for traffic hitting deepseek.com, chat.deepseek.com, api.deepseek.com, or platform.deepseek.com. For better precision, analyze the SNI (server name identification) in TLS connection requests. For mobile devices, look out for the official app (com.deepseek.chat).

Locking it down: blocklist the AI Services category on the NGFW or web filter, and reroute traffic to DeepSeek’s domains via DNS settings. Use browser policies to block third-party extensions, and lean on MDM/EMM tools to restrict the mobile app.

How to detect and restrict Mistral, xAI Grok, and Character.ai

The playbook for these tools is exactly the same as DeepSeek, so here’s the quick list of domains to watch for and block: chat.mistral.ai, mistral.ai, console.mistral.ai, grok.com, x.ai, api.x.ai, character.ai, beta.character.ai, and c.ai.

A quick word of warning on Grok: because Grok is baked into X, blocking this specific AI access point means blocking the entire social media platform.

How to detect and restrict Slack AI

Detecting it: in the Slack workspace admin dashboard, look under Analytics → Slack AI usage. If an enterprise plan is used, the detailed Slack logs can be searched for any events starting with the ai_ prefix.

Blocking it with policies: in the organization’s Slack settings, click through the Workspace settings → Roles & permissions → Feature access, and change the permission to “no one”. Slack has a step-by-step guide in their help center.

Locking it down: shutting this down at the network level is tricky; it can be pulled off with a finely tuned CASB solution in place. Also, don’t forget the importance of blocking rogue integrations and keeping external AI services from tapping into Slack data in the first place. We covered how to lock this down using OAuth controls in a previous post.

How to detect and restrict Zoom AI Companion

Detecting it: if a corporate Zoom subscription is in use, just head to Admin Center → Reports → AI Companion usage. Detecting Zoom’s AI when employees join external meetings or use free accounts is a lot tougher, but email filters can be set up to flag incoming AI-generated meeting notes by scanning for subject lines or text containing “Meeting summary” or “Meeting assets”.

Blocking it with policies: for the company’s own Zoom subscription, go to the Admin Portal → Account Management → Account Settings → Meeting → AI Companion and toggle it OFF for everyone.

Locking it down: unfortunately, AI Companion is baked into Zoom’s DNA, so the only real option is blocking Zoom altogether.

How to detect and restrict Grammarly

What looks like an innocent spellchecker is actually one of the biggest culprits for workplace data leaks.

Detecting it: check the NGFW or web filter logs for traffic hitting grammarly.com, *.grammarly.com, and gnar.grammarly.com. EDR and MDM/EMM tools can also be used to hunt down the standalone desktop apps (Grammarly Desktop.exe and the macOS version), as well as the Grammarly browser extension.

Locking it down: use firewalls to block those domains at the network level, and EPP to stop employees from installing the desktop app, browser extensions, or the Grammarly add-ins for Microsoft Word and Excel.

How to detect and restrict meeting assistants: Fireflies, Read.ai, Tactiq, Fathom, and Granola

This massive category of third-party SaaS tools records and analyzes meetings — creating a massive risk for data leaks. The trickiest part? Outside clients or vendors can bring these bots into a meeting just as easily as employees can.

Detecting them: run an audit on calendar invites, and look for bot participants using email domains like @fireflies.ai, @read.ai, @tactiq.io, @fathom.video, or @granola.ai. Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet logs can also be used to review external participants who joined past calls.

Locking them down: since it’s impossible to control what outsiders do, blocking these bots comes down to tightening meeting rules. The best moves are: blocking users from granting OAuth permissions for bots to join calls, restricting employees from inviting unapproved external participants, or locking down meeting recording access for external users. That last option is usually the least painful way to keep bots out without disrupting business.

How to detect and restrict AI code editors: Cursor, Windsurf, and the like

Detecting them: use EDR/EPP tools to scan for executables like cursor.exe or windsurf.exe. It’s also worth monitoring network traffic heading to cursor.com and windsurf.com, as well as traffic hitting various AI model API providers. Keep in mind that there’s a pretty extensive list of API hosts to monitor here, since these editors aren’t tied to just one specific AI vendor.

Blocking them with policies: these apps can be prevented from being installed by setting up filters based on the developer’s digital signature certificate. Alternatively, a strict application allowlist can be employed where only pre-approved software is allowed to run.

Locking them down: rely on the EPP/EDR platform to actively detect and block these applications from running.

How to detect and restrict local AI tools: Ollama, LM Studio, and GPT4All

On one hand, this category carries fewer data leak risks because the AI models run completely locally on the user’s machine. On the other hand, it opens up a whole new can of worms: these apps themselves aren’t always highly secure, and can become targets for cyberattacks. Plus, it still means that employees can misuse models or process data in unauthorized ways.

Detecting them: EDR/EPP tools are the best line of defense here. They should be used to flag known local AI files and processes like ollama.exe, ollama serve, lmstudio.exe, LM Studio.app, jan.exe, or gpt4all.exe. From a network perspective, it’s worth scanning for open ports on local devices — typically port 1234 for Ollama and LM Studio, or port 8080 for WebUIs (using an additional fingerprint check of the server response). Another massive red flag is the presence of large files (often several gigabytes) containing language model weights. Look out for extensions like .gguf, .bin, or sometimes .safetensors.

Locking them down: use EPP/EDR platforms or windows AppLocker to block these applications by name, or switch to an application allowlist.

How to detect and restrict autonomous agents: OpenClaw, NemoClaw, and NanoClaw

This is easily one of the most dangerous categories of AI tools out there. These agents mix high-level independence with access to untrusted data, making them a massive security headache.

Detecting them: use EPP/EDR tools to sniff out active processes like openclaw, nanoclaw, nemoclaw, or clawdbot. Also keep an eye out for devices running Node.js that suddenly start launching Bash or Python scripts. Another dead giveaway is the appearance of system folders like ~/openclaw, ~/nanoclaw, ~/.claw*, or ~/clawhub. At the network level, monitor connections to the AI model APIs we mentioned earlier, as well as traffic hitting servers like openclaw.ai, nanoclaw.dev, or clawhub.*.

Locking them down: the safest bet is to use strict application allowlisting (only allowing approved software to run), or to specifically ban the known agent apps listed above. On top of that, consider blocking non-developers from installing Node.js and Docker, neither of which they need on their computers anyway.

In April 2026, we discovered a new campaign targeting users of hentai games. Attackers are embedding a remote access Trojan named Argamal into game installers. While concealing its presence, it can remotely control the computer and steal files and personal data.

Here’s how to avoid falling victim to this new Trojan — and how to safely and anonymously enjoy spicy content with (or without) anime girls.

How computers get infected with Argamal

Most of the infected games are distributed through adult game and torrent sites. In some cases, they are posted for download on file-sharing services and linked on gaming websites.

Interestingly, instead of finding a dummy file inside the archive — as is often the case — the user gets the actual game built on popular engines like RenPy or RPG Maker. Infected pirated versions usually turn out to be scams: games fail to launch, folders are full of files with bizarre extensions, making it rather easy to put two and two together. Here, however, the user gets the actual gameplay they expected. Meanwhile, the Trojan lets itself in and keeps a completely low profile.

Tucked right alongside the legitimate files in the archive is a DLL that the game relies on to run, but it’s been rigged: as soon as the user launches the game, the infected DLL automatically loads into memory. There are no outward signs of infection: neither an installer popping up in the background, nor a scary window or prompt asking you to disable your antivirus.

Argamal takes things real slow: instead of immediately rushing to steal files and passwords or throwing a digital rager on your computer, the Trojan first checks whether it’s running in a virtual machine or sandbox, and then goes into standby mode.

During this time, the malware writes hidden parameters to the system, conceals the paths to its DLLs, and delays its own execution. Three days later, the computer connects to GitHub, downloads an encrypted file, decrypts it, and turns it into a working Trojan module.

To ensure persistence, the attackers register the malware under the WindowsColorSystem Calibration Loader system task, a built-in Windows feature that triggers at every user logon to load monitor color profiles. Before shutting down, the malware deletes temporary files and covers its tracks to make it even harder to detect.

What makes Argamal dangerous?

Argamal is a remote access Trojan (RAT), which means attackers can use it to remotely control the victim’s computer. Here’s just a short list of what it may entail:

• Executing arbitrary commands on the computer
• Downloading and running files
• Checking if an antivirus is installed on the PC (by the way, our security solution detects and neutralizes Argamal before it can harm you)
• Searching for and exfiltrating sensitive data from files and system settings
• Taking screenshots and streaming video from the device
• Sending data to the attackers’ server
• Monitoring user activity
• Shutting down or restarting the device

Essentially, the infected computer turns into a remotely controlled machine. The owner may keep calmly going about their day, completely unaware that their device has been compromised. Yet the consequences of such an infection can be devastating.

For example, a single password stolen from a text note can lead to multiple compromised accounts at once if the victim reuses the same credentials across different sites. That’s why we recommend storing strong and unique passwords in an encrypted vault of a password manager rather than in plain text files.

Beyond hijacking accounts, the Trojan lets attackers literally spy on the user — reading their chats, digging into secret files, studying their sexual preferences… The cybercriminals can then use this highly sensitive information for subsequent attacks, blackmail, and extortion. We’ve covered what to do if you find yourself being targeted by extortionists in a previous post.

Another common scenario involves quietly stealing or substituting financial data — for instance, intercepting credentials from banking apps or replacing crypto-wallet addresses in the clipboard, which sends all your money straight to the attackers’ accounts.

In short, there’s a whole laundry list of ways attackers can exploit a victim’s device and data.

Argamal, yamete kudasai! How to protect yourself from similar threats

If you’ve decided to become the proud owner of “Waifu Simulator Ultra Definitive Edition”, stay on your guard:

• Use security software that runs in real time and catches sophisticated malware. Despite the attackers’ best efforts to make the Trojan invisible, Kaspersky Premium instantly detects and removes Argamal from users’ devices.
• Avoid downloading adult apps, installation files, and spicy content from untrusted sources. Clicking a “free XXX game, no signup needed” is a surefire way to invite malware onto your device. That said, even official platforms like Google Play and the App Store unfortunately let infected apps slip through the cracks at times. To stop worrying about accidentally downloading a Trojan or an infostealer, use Kaspersky Premium on all your devices.
• Don’t share more data than you absolutely have to. If an adult game or website insists you sign up, enter personal data, or link third-party accounts instead of just checking your birth date, that’s a huge red flag. Sites rarely collect sensitive data for no reason. In the best-case scenario, it ends up with marketers and ad trackers. In the worst-case, it falls into the hands of bad actors who will use it for blackmail, phishing, or breaking into your other accounts.
• Don’t click ad banners on adult websites. Even the most popular platforms like Pornhub occasionally host ads laced with malware. If you find it hard to hold back, use a security solution that will block malware downloads and prevent redirects to suspicious sites.

• Watching porn safely: a guide for grown-ups
• How to watch porn safely and discreetly
• What happens in the bedroom stays in the bedroom
• AI and the new reality of sextortion