Start with purpose and scope
Define which tools and workflows the policy covers, what data may enter them, who owns approval, and which work needs additional review. Separate guidance from requirements that come from security, contracts, or applicable law.
Avoid a policy that only lists prohibited tools. Developers need to know what the approved route looks like in ordinary work.
Cover the working controls
A practical policy addresses identity and access, secrets and customer data, code review, testing, dependency and security checks, release ownership, traceability, retention, and incident escalation.
Controls should be stronger where the risk changes: payments, authentication, personal data, production infrastructure, and changes with broad blast radius deserve more scrutiny than a low-risk documentation edit.
Review whether the policy works
Track questions, exceptions, incidents, blocked work, and the quality of evidence available for important changes. Do not use prompt or token counts as proof of compliance.
Policy is a working system. Update it when tools, risks, and actual development practice change.
Frequently asked questions
Is this legal advice?
No. Security, privacy, contractual, and legal requirements depend on the organisation and jurisdiction.
Should every AI interaction be logged?
Not automatically. Retention and access should be proportionate to the risk and purpose of the review.
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