AI tools like McDonald’s hiring bot are fast and frighteningly insecure

🤖 Would You Trust “Olivia” With Your Client Data?

AI tools like McDonald’s hiring bot are fast—and frighteningly insecure

In the race to automate hiring, McDonald’s deployed an AI chatbot named Olivia. She asks for your résumé, schedules interviews, and even makes small talk. But until last week, Olivia had a serious flaw:

Her admin password was “123456.”

Thanks to basic security failures by AI vendor Paradox.ai, the personal data of up to 64 million McDonald’s job applicants was potentially exposed. According to security researchers, anyone could have accessed applicant names, emails, phone numbers, and chat logs—simply by guessing that laughable password.

This Isn’t Just McDonald’s Problem

Think this can’t happen to your organization? Think again.

• That AI assistant answering calls at your clinic? What happens if its admin panel is unsecured?

• The chatbot handling admissions at your school? Could it be exposing student data?

• That outsourced HR platform your firm uses? Is it storing résumés—and vulnerabilities?

When your SMB, healthcare practice, law firm, or school integrates third-party tech, you inherit their risks.

AI Isn’t the Problem—Negligence Is

The real danger isn’t artificial intelligence. It’s artificial confidence—believing that just because it’s automated, it’s secure. This breach highlights three crucial lessons:

1. Audit your third-party tools—especially those handling personal data.

2. Vet AI vendors for security history, bug bounty programs, and breach transparency.

3. Partner with an MSP that enforces cybersecurity best practices and performs vendor risk assessments.

Cyberattacks rarely start with complex code. They start with human laziness—like choosing “123456.”

70% of all cyber attacks target small businesses. I can help protect yours.