Snowflake AI Vendor Risk Profile
Cloud data platform with Cortex AI, providing LLM-powered SQL functions, document processing, and AI assistants that operate directly on data warehouse content. Integrates frontier models alongside open-source models for enterprise AI workflows.
Risk overview
Risk score: 24/100
Risk tier: Moderate
Safety rating: 76/100 (higher is better)
Lower risk scores indicate lower assessed risk.
Last verified: Apr 19, 2026 Aging
Risk dimensions
| Dimension | Risk score |
|---|---|
| Data Handling | 28/100 |
| IP Exposure | 26/100 |
| Jurisdiction | 13/100 |
| Security | 22/100 |
| Regulatory Compliance | 20/100 |
| Transparency | 50/100 |
| Business Stability | 10/100 |
| Dependency Chain | 26/100 |
| Agent Governance | Not assessed |
Analyst summary
Rating: Recommended
Snowflake Cortex AI runs LLMs (Meta Llama, Mistral, and others) inside Snowflake's secure perimeter, meaning customer data never leaves the customer's account to reach an external LLM provider. This is a strong data-governance story, backed by FedRAMP High (GovCloud), HIPAA BAA, and HITRUST. The 2024 credential-stuffing incident is a reminder that MFA enforcement is critical.
Bottom line: The strongest enterprise AI story for data-warehouse-resident workloads; MFA enforcement is table stakes.
Strengths
- Cortex AI runs LLMs inside Snowflake's perimeter; customer data stays in the customer's account
- No training on customer data; full tenant isolation
- Full compliance stack: SOC 1/SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001/27017/27018/27701, FedRAMP High (GovCloud), HIPAA BAA, HITRUST
- Multi-cloud (AWS, Azure, GCP) deployment with regional residency
- Customer retains full ownership of Customer Data and Cortex outputs
- Tight integration with existing data warehouse and governance tooling
Concerns
- 2024 credential-stuffing campaign exposed AT&T, Ticketmaster, and others via accounts without MFA (customer-side failure, but raised shared-responsibility concerns)
- Cortex models trail frontier labs on general-purpose benchmarks
- Per-credit Cortex pricing can escalate unexpectedly at scale
- Deep value unlocked only for existing Snowflake customers
Best for
- Snowflake-standardized enterprises adding AI over governed data without moving data out
- Regulated industries (financial services, healthcare) needing HIPAA, HITRUST, or FedRAMP High AI
- Organizations building RAG and analytics AI over their existing data warehouse
- Teams wanting to run open-source LLMs (Llama, Mistral) inside enterprise governance
Avoid if
- You are not already on Snowflake (the AI alone does not justify adopting the platform)
- You need frontier-model capability over governance control
- Your team has not fully enforced MFA on all Snowflake accounts
Citations
- Data Handling — Hipaa Baa Available
Snowflake offers HIPAA Business Associate Agreements and HITRUST CSF certification for healthcare customers.
- Data Handling — Third Party Data Sharing
Cortex LLM functions run LLMs (including Meta Llama and Mistral) within Snowflake's secure perimeter; customer data is not sent to external LLM providers.
- Data Handling — Trains On User Data
Snowflake Cortex AI does not use customer data to train any Snowflake-owned or third-party foundation models. Customer data stays in the customer's Snowflake account.
- Governance — Security Incidents
In 2024, a credential-stuffing campaign targeted Snowflake customer accounts without MFA, resulting in data theft from AT&T, Ticketmaster, and other major customers.
- Ip Profiles — User Owns Outputs
Customer retains all right, title, and interest in Customer Data, including outputs generated by Cortex AI from Customer Data.
- Jurisdiction Profiles — Incorporation Country
Snowflake Inc. is a Delaware corporation headquartered in Bozeman, Montana (SEC Form 10-K).
- Security Compliance — Fedramp Authorized
Snowflake holds FedRAMP High authorization on AWS GovCloud and FedRAMP Moderate on commercial regions.
- Security Compliance — Iso 27001
Snowflake holds ISO/IEC 27001, 27017, 27018, and 27701 certifications.
- Security Compliance — Soc2 Type2
Snowflake maintains SOC 1 Type II and SOC 2 Type II attestations across all commercial regions.