Configure Safe AI Controls with Sophos Protected Browser

Safe AI Controls set two distinct boundaries: Protected Browser web policies control which generative AI applications a user group can use and which data actions are permitted in them. DNS Protection for Endpoints blocks selected GenAI domains across all browsers on managed endpoints. This lets you allow approved services selectively and block unapproved services either in Protected Browser only or in all browsers.

Decide on the outcome before configuring

First choose the outcome you need. The four options do not automatically build on one another:

Block unauthorised GenAI apps in Protected Browser only: An application group containing the unwanted apps is assigned a web policy with Block.
Block unauthorised GenAI apps in all browsers: DNS Protection for endpoints uses a custom domain list with the Block action.
Allow authorised GenAI apps but prevent uploads and copying: The web policy uses Block all uploads and Keep data within this policy’s destinations.
Use authorised GenAI apps with uploads and pasting, but prevent copying out: The web policy uses Keep data within this policy’s destination - allow pasting from outside.

Start with a small, clearly named user group. This makes it clear who is testing the new boundary before you assign more groups.

Requirements, licensing and roles

No specific licence, administrator role, platform, identity, certificate or agent requirement is documented for this procedure. Before making a change, therefore, check that the required areas and objects are available:

My Products > Protected Browser > Policy objects and My Products > Protected Browser > Web policy are accessible if you are implementing a Protected Browser option.
My Products > DNS Protection > Policies and My Products > DNS Protection > Domain lists are accessible if you want to block across all browsers.
The intended user group can be selected under Available.
The GenAI apps you want to control appear under Generative AI, or you know their domains or URLs for the DNS list.

If any of these elements is missing or a change cannot be saved, stop at this point. The documented procedure does not specify which licence or role must be added, nor does it describe an alternative setup method. Ask the responsible Sophos administrator to clarify permissions or product provisioning rather than guessing at settings in a different product area.

Option 1: Block GenAI apps in Protected Browser

Create an application group

Create an application group for GenAI apps.

Open My Products > Protected Browser > Policy objects.
Select Add object, then select Application group.
Enter a name for the application group. For example: Blocked Gen AI Apps.
Expand Generative AI and select the unauthorised GenAI apps.
Select Save.

You can choose any name. However, a descriptive name helps prevent the block group from later being confused with a group for approved apps.

Create a blocking web policy

Open My Products > Protected Browser > Web policy.
Under Policies, select Add policy.
Enter a name, for example Blockierte Gen AI-Apps.
Select Block as the Policy action.
Under User group, select Edit.
Under Available, first select the pilot group, move it to Assigned, then select Save.
Under Application group, select the group containing the unauthorised GenAI apps that you created previously.
Select Save.

Option 2: Allow authorised GenAI apps with strict data boundaries

This option allows access, but blocks file uploads and prevents data from being moved out of the policy’s destinations.

Create an application group for authorised GenAI apps

Open My Products > Protected Browser > Policy objects.
Select Add object.
Select Application group and give it a unique name, for example Authorized Gen AI Apps.
Expand Generative AI and select only the approved apps.
Select Save.

Create a web policy with restrictions

Open My Products > Protected Browser > Web policy and select Add policy.
Enter a name and select Allow as the Policy action.
Select Edit. Under Available, select the pilot group, move it to Assigned, then select Save.
Under Application group, select the group containing the authorised GenAI apps.
Under Upload protection, select Block all uploads.
Under Data boundaries, select Keep data within this policy’s destinations.
Select Save.

The expected result is deliberately restrictive: assigned users can open the selected apps, but cannot upload files to them or copy data out of the policy’s destinations.

Option 3: Allow uploads and pasting, but prevent copying out

Use this option only if users are permitted to send files to an approved GenAI app and paste data from outside. Data from these apps must still be prevented from leaving the policy’s destinations through copying.

Create the application group as described in Option 2. Then configure the web policy in this order:

Open My Products > Protected Browser > Web policy and select Add policy.
Enter a name and select Allow as the Policy action.
Select Edit, select the pilot group under Available, and move it to Assigned.
Select Save to apply the user-group assignment.
Under Application group, select the group containing the authorised GenAI apps.
Under Actions, in Data boundaries, select Keep data within this policy’s destination - allow pasting from outside.
Select Save to save the policy.

Test this option separately from the stricter policy. Its expected result is intentionally different: uploading and pasting work, but copying data out of the authorised app is prevented.

Option 4: Block unauthorised GenAI apps in all browsers

This option is technically part of DNS Protection for endpoints. It supplements the Protected Browser rules rather than using their application groups.

Turn on DNS Protection for endpoints

Open My Products > DNS Protection > Policies.
Select Endpoint policies and open Base Policy - Endpoint DNS Protection.
Select Settings.
Turn on Use Sophos DNS Protection.
Select Save.

Add a domain list for GenAI apps

Open My Products > DNS Protection > Domain lists.
Select Add domain list.
Enter a unique name, for example Blocked Gen AI Domains.
Under Domains, enter the domains or URLs of the GenAI applications you want to block.
Select Save.

The example name can be changed; the entries under Domains, however, must match the services your organisation actually wants to block.

Add the domain list to a DNS Protection policy

Open My Products > DNS Protection > Policies and select Filtering policies.
Open a policy that allows traffic and applies to the users or devices you want to manage.
Select Settings.
Under Filtering by domain lists, turn on Include domain lists when filtering.
Select Add list and choose the GenAI domain list.
Select Save to add the selected domain list.
For the added list, under Actions, select Block.
Select Save again to save the policy.

The expected result is that the entered GenAI domains are blocked on endpoints covered by this DNS Protection policy, regardless of which browser is used.

Verify the effect with a pilot group

Test each configured option with exactly one assigned test user or one test device covered by the DNS policy. Use only non-sensitive test data.

Open one selected authorised GenAI app and one unauthorised GenAI app.
For a blocking policy, verify that the app or entered domain cannot be reached.
For the strict allow policy, verify that the app can be reached but that a file cannot be uploaded and data cannot be copied out of the destination.
For the option that permits pasting, verify that uploading and pasting work but copying out of the app is prevented.
Repeat the access test with a user outside the pilot group. Their experience must not be changed by an accidental assignment of the pilot policy.

Troubleshooting by symptom

No product error messages or additional diagnostic tools are documented for these procedures. Therefore, isolate discrepancies using only the following configuration points.

An unauthorised app remains accessible

Check whether the app is selected in the correct Application group, the blocking policy actually uses Block, and the test group appears under Assigned. For the cross-browser option, check the entry under Domains, the Include domain lists when filtering setting, the added list, and its Block action instead.

An authorised app cannot be reached

Check whether the app is included in the authorised application group, the web policy uses Allow, and the correct user group is assigned. Do not change upload protection and data boundaries at the same time while the access test itself is still failing.

A data action behaves differently than planned

Compare the selected option word for word with the intended setting: Block all uploads plus Keep data within this policy’s destinations for the strict option, or Keep data within this policy’s destination - allow pasting from outside for the option that permits uploading and pasting. If the result is still unclear, stop the rollout. The documented procedure contains no deeper diagnostic or workaround path.

Safe rollback and decommissioning

No procedure for deleting, disabling or decommissioning the objects described here is documented. Before the rollout, therefore, record the previous assignments and values, and expand the pilot group only after a successful test.

If you need to roll back, do not assume an undocumented deletion sequence. Stop the rollout, record the affected policy, application or domain list, and user group in the change log, and ask the responsible Sophos administrator or Sophos Support to confirm the supported modification or removal path. Then test access and data actions again with the pilot user.

Operation and review

The underlying Sophos instructions were updated on 4 September 2026. During ongoing operation, whenever approved services, their domains or the affected user groups change, check the application group, domain list and policy assignment again, and repeat the appropriate pilot test.

Sophos also provides a configuration Video on the official Safe AI use cases overview page. Nevertheless, verify the configuration against the written steps above because they identify the fields used and the expected result directly.

Scope

Licensing, administrator roles, identity management, ZTNA, general DNS administration and Live Discover are separate topics and are not part of this procedure.