The Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) is partnering with OpenAI on a pilot that could give state and local government, as well as critical infrastructure facilities, access to Daybreak, pairing its AI cybersecurity models with training and hands-on support.
This comes as OpenAI pledges to commit $1 billion globally in subsidized Daybreak access for resource-constrained “frontline defenders,” the company has announced, starting in the U.S. and prioritizing services such as water and wastewater systems, electric grid operators, state and local governments, community and regional banks, nonprofit organizations and open-source maintainers. OpenAI said many of these organizations are facing faster cybersecurity threats while defending complex and often aging systems without the budgets, expertise or tools available in larger organizations.
The Daybreak initiative launched earlier this year to enable verified public- and private-sector cybersecurity professionals to use advanced AI for authorized cyber defense, according to the OpenAI website. There are 2,000 approved organizations and workspaces, including some in law enforcement and defense, that are currently using Daybreak models.
MS-ISAC, for its part, supports cybersecurity work for state, local, tribal and territorial (SLTT) governments across the U.S. and its territories. Those entities often rely on as few as one or two employees, small IT shops or managed service providers for support. Meanwhile, the cybersecurity landscape has drastically altered of late following the arrival of frontier AI and AI-enhanced cyber crime, creating new challenges for all of government while leaving smaller organizations especially vulnerable.
The pilot is intended to help users understand how AI can help make smarter decisions, respond to threats faster and focus on critical risks, a Center for Internet Security press release said. Cybersecurity professionals with varying levels of resources and experience will use the technology to help identify security problems, decide what needs attention and how to apply fixes.
OpenAI also said it offered states and utilities affected by recent water and wastewater attacks $1 million in no-cost API credits, Daybreak access and technical assistance. In July, water and wastewater facilities in at least seven states experienced more than 100 cybersecurity incidents involving Internet-connected programmable logic controllers, according to the FBI and Environmental Protection Agency. Attackers remotely changed device IP addresses and passwords, temporarily disrupting monitoring or control functions at some facilities.
The company said it has held meetings with utility representatives, including one this week with attendees from 40 states and the District of Columbia, a group that collectively provides essential services for more than half of the U.S. population. OpenAI said it will continue meeting with utilities, state and local governments, community banks, and other frontline defenders as the Daybreak program expands.
MS-ISAC is a division of the Center for Internet Security, which also has a growing body of AI resources, research and best practices including secure AI adoption, governance and emerging threats. This pilot is part of CIS’ commitment to helping SLTT government organizations navigate opportunities and challenges presented by AI.
“The services Americans rely on every day are increasingly in the crosshairs of cyber threats,” said Brian Calkin, chief technology and innovation officer at the center. “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.”
