Quick Answer

How Do You Test an AI System for Security?

Six steps, and why confirming results matters.

HexTyx Security Research Team·

The short answer. Attack your AI system the way a real attacker would, on a test copy you are authorized to test, then confirm each result with evidence. Test the whole workflow, not only the model's replies, and repeat after every change.

How do you test an AI system for security?

Start by deciding what you are testing. A chatbot needs different tests from an agent with tools and credentials. Then work through these steps.

  1. Get authorization and use a safe environment. Only test systems you own or have written permission to test, and use test accounts and test data.
  2. Map the system. List the model, system prompt, data sources, tools, credentials and who can talk to it.
  3. Pick attack types that match. For chatbots: jailbreaks, prompt injection, data leakage. For agents, add tool abuse, indirect injection through documents and email, and credential misuse.
  4. Run the attacks, manually and with an automated scanner.
  5. Confirm each result. A scary-looking reply is not proof of a breach. Check that a protected action or data was really reached.
  6. Fix, then retest. Re-run the same attacks after each fix, and again when the model, prompt, tools or permissions change.

What should you test for?

Area Example test
Prompt injection Hidden instructions in an email or document
Jailbreaks Attempts to override safety rules, including long many-shot attempts
Data leakage Can it reveal its instructions or private records?
Tool abuse Can it be pushed to call a tool with attacker-chosen arguments?
Permissions Can a read-only agent write or delete?
Poisoned data Can bad documents change answers? See RAG security

Why verification matters

Testing tools can be wrong. In our own work, several early "clean" results turned out to be testing bugs, not safe models. One detector bug hid 15 failed requests behind a perfect score. We now count a finding only when the scanner confirms the behaviour, for example a planted marker string in the output or a real tool call with attacker-chosen arguments. Ask any tester, including us, how results are confirmed.

What does HexTyx test?

The HexTyx scanner runs 23 scan phases and 33 attack modules against your AI application, including indirect prompt injection, many-shot jailbreak, RAG poisoning and agentic tool abuse. You can start with the free playground. For deeper guidance, see automated LLM security testing and agentic AI red teaming.

A minimal first test plan for a small team

If you have an afternoon, do this: write down every tool and credential your AI has; run a scanner against a test copy; try five injection attempts by hand, including one hidden in a document; check whether a read-only setup can write; and record each result with evidence. Fix the worst finding, retest it, and put the date and the findings in a shared document so the next round can be compared with this one.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should you test an AI system?
Before launch, after any change to the model, prompts, tools, data or permissions, and on a regular schedule matched to the risk.
Can I test a chatbot myself?
Yes, if you own it or have written permission. Start with a checklist such as the OWASP LLM checklist and an automated scan.
What is AI red teaming?
It is testing an AI system by attacking it deliberately, as a real adversary would, to find weaknesses before they are exploited.
Does passing a test mean the system is secure?
No. It means the tested attacks failed at that time. Retest after changes and widen coverage over time.

Sources

Is your AI a chatbot or an agent?

Run the free playground scanner against your AI application and see what an attacker could make it do.

Try the PlaygroundAgent Security Architecture

Related Guides

Question Hub
Top AI Security Questions
Best Practices
Automated LLM Security Testing
Best Practices
Agentic AI Red Teaming
Free Tool
Free Playground Scanner
All Topics
AI Security Topic Hub →