To that end, AI is having an impact on most organizations’ activities, and that includes cybersecurity.
Having said that, there is a preliminary draft available for anyone interested in the opportunities and risks associated with cybersecurity and AI from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
The profile helps organizations think about how to strategically adopt AI while addressing emerging cybersecurity risks that stem from the rapidly advancing AI environment.
Cybersecurity AI Strategies
“Regardless of where organizations are on their AI journey, they need cybersecurity strategies that acknowledge the realities of AI’s advancement,” said Barbara Cuthill, one of the profile’s authors.
The draft resulted from a yearlong effort on the part of NIST cybersecurity and AI experts. Over that time, more than 6,500 individuals joined the community of interest to contribute to NIST’s development of the profile.
After releasing an initial concept paper in February 2025, conducting a workshop the following April, and hosting a series of community of interest meetings in the summer, NIST is now releasing the preliminary draft of the profile for a 45-day public comment period.
The Cyber AI Profile centers on three overlapping focus areas: Securing AI systems, conducting AI-enabled cyber defense, and thwarting AI-enabled cyberattacks.
Credit: N. Hanacek/NIST
The Cyber AI Profile centers on three focus areas:
- Securing AI systems: Identifying cybersecurity challenges when integrating AI into organizational ecosystems and infrastructure
- Conducting AI-enabled cyber defense: Identifying opportunities to use AI to enhance cybersecurity, and understanding challenges when leveraging AI to support defensive operations
- Thwarting AI-enabled cyberattacks: Building resilience to protect against new AI-enabled threats
“The three focus areas reflect the fact that AI is entering organizations’ awareness in different ways,” Cuthill said. “But ultimately every organization will have to deal with all three.”
Strong AI Plan
“The Cyber AI Profile is all about enabling organizations to gain confidence on their AI journey,” Cuthill said. “We hope it will help them feel equipped to have conversations about how their cybersecurity environment will change with AI and to augment what they are already doing with their cybersecurity programs.”
Comments on the profile can end up submitted by completing a comment form and emailing mailto:cyberaiprofile@nist.gov it before the Jan. 30, 2026, due date. NIST is also planning a workshop for Jan. 14, 2026, to discuss the preliminary draft profile and will post the link for registration later this month.
Click here to view the Cyber AI Profile.