US states and cities test AI for cyber defence as federal support shrinks

The Center for Internet Security (CIS) has launched an AI Cyber Defense Pilot with OpenAI to test how artificial intelligence can help state, local, tribal and territorial governments defend themselves, StateScoop reported.

Participants, including critical infrastructure organisations and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), will use OpenAI's technology to identify and validate vulnerabilities, prioritise fixes, support remediation and improve basic cyber hygiene.

"At a time when defenders at the state and local government level are challenged by a growing threat landscape, AI has the potential to be a game changer," said Brian Calkin, chief technology and innovation officer at CIS. The pilot, he said, should show how AI can help organisations "focus on the risks that matter most".

Filling a gap

The pilot comes as states and localities take on more of their own defence. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency ended its cooperative agreement with CIS last year, moving to grants, free tools and direct assistance, and federal funding for MS-ISAC was cut. CIS warned at the time that the cuts could create openings for adversaries.

Small public bodies are where the gap is widest: a county or water utility may have one or two people responsible for security, if any. AI tools that sort thousands of scanner findings into a short list of real, fixable problems could help them most. The pilot's value will depend on whether its lessons are published in a form that under-resourced teams can use, and on keeping humans responsible for the fixes.