DHS CISA releases AI roadmap

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has released its first Roadmap for Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Following an executive order issued by President Biden in October, the DHS has promoted the adoption of AI safety standards globally, protected U.S. networks and critical infrastructure, reduced the risks that AI can be used to create weapons of mass destruction, combatted AI-related intellectual property theft, and worked to help the United States attract and retain skilled talent in that field. CISA's Roadmap assists that mission by outlining five strategic lines of effort for CISA that will drive concrete initiatives and define CISA’s responsible approach to AI in cybersecurity.

Those lines, as listed by CISA, are:

Line of Effort 1 - Responsibly use AI to support our mission.

Line of Effort 2 - Assess and Assure AI systems.

Line of Effort 3 - Protect critical infrastructure from malicious use of AI.

Line of Effort 4 - Collaborate and communicate on key AI efforts with the interagency, international partners, and the public.

Line of Effort 5 - Expand AI expertise in our workforce.

“DHS has a broad leadership role in advancing the responsible use of AI, and this cybersecurity Roadmap is one important element of our work,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to building a secure and resilient digital ecosystem that promotes innovation and technological progress. In last month’s Executive Order, the President called on DHS to promote the adoption of AI safety standards globally and help ensure the safe, secure, and responsible use and development of AI. CISA’s Roadmap lays out the steps that the agency will take as part of our Department’s broader efforts to both leverage AI and mitigate its risks to our critical infrastructure and cyber defenses.”

“Artificial Intelligence holds immense promise in enhancing our nation’s cybersecurity, but as the most powerful technology of our lifetimes, it also presents enormous risks,” noted CISA Director Jen Easterly. “Our Roadmap for AI, focused at the nexus of AI, cyber defense, and critical infrastructure, sets forth an agency-wide plan to promote the beneficial uses of AI to enhance cybersecurity capabilities; ensure AI systems are protected from cyber-based threats; and deter the malicious use of AI capabilities to threaten the critical infrastructure Americans rely on every day.”

The full Roadmap can be accessed online at cisa.gov/AI.

To view the complete release from the DHS, you can visit www.cisa.gov.