The administration’s artificial intelligence policy, strengthened by the June 2 Executive Order “Advancing Advanced Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Security,” is breaking down barriers to AI. This is good for innovation and economic growth. From removing barriers to innovation to developing a national policy framework on AI, a series of recent executive orders reduce regulation and promote a strong free market ethos around AI, consistent with what has driven numerous technology revolutions over the past 150 years.
But this technological shift also creates new national security considerations that require concerted action. The use of AI in cyberattacks by adversaries is increasing, as seen in APT31, which uses Gemini to automate cyberattack reconnaissance and analyze system vulnerabilities against U.S. targets. As we accelerate AI innovation, there is a strong need for the United States to lead in AI cybersecurity across all sectors, especially when it comes to the federal government, law enforcement, intelligence agencies, critical infrastructure operators, and the U.S. military.
Closing these security gaps requires deploying the best and most secure technology, but federal agencies also have an obligation to understand the new ways that AI is making cyber defense more difficult than ever, and to train cyber personnel to develop the skills needed to counter adversaries and mitigate evolving threats.
Critical need for a well-trained cyber workforce
Federal networks are prime targets for threats from nation-state actors, organized cybercrime groups, hacktivists, and insiders. These attackers use advanced techniques such as advanced persistent threats, supply chain attacks, zero-day exploits, AI-assisted phishing and social engineering, and infrastructure intrusions targeting critical services.
As adversary tactics, techniques, and procedures continually evolve, cybersecurity personnel must receive ongoing training in threat detection, incident response, digital forensics, and adversary behavioral analysis. Without continuous skill development that integrates how to leverage AI into cybersecurity operations, defenders will fall behind attackers.
The federal government recognizes the need for better and more frequent cyber workforce training. To this end, the government and federal agencies have released recent executive orders and additional guidance found in President Donald Trump’s America’s Cyber Strategy, America’s AI Action Plan, Department of Defense 8140, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s NICE Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity to level up cyber training for the modern threat era. This strategy called for accelerating the adoption of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies for network defense. Federal employees need the skills to fulfill this mission.
A new kind of cyber training program
Cybersecurity training and certification programs are increasingly moving beyond classroom lectures and knowledge-based exams to hands-on instruction that builds practical skills. While concept-based tests establish an important foundation, the most effective programs, including those long championed by the SANS Institute, assess practitioners through realistic scenarios that reflect what they will actually encounter in the field. Federal agencies are accelerating this change, recognizing that operational readiness requires more than theoretical understanding. This includes information and cybersecurity experts from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who were requested in a June 2 executive order.
One of the most effective ways to achieve this readiness is through performance-based training. Programs must be taught by instructors who are practicing security professionals and must require students to use security tools in realistic in-class scenarios.
Instructors currently working in the field are well-positioned to continue their training in a rapidly evolving threat landscape. Their first-hand experience allows them to incorporate the latest attack techniques and defensive strategies, ensuring students have the practical skills needed to deal with emerging cyber threats, especially at the rapid pace of AI.
Certification programs should also emphasize scenario-based assessments. Rather than relying primarily on written exams, participants should be evaluated through practical exams where they are placed in high-pressure situations. For example, you may be required to identify and respond to a simulated cyberattack or analyze new indicators of compromise and adjust your defenses accordingly.
Programs built around these realistic scenarios more closely reflect the challenges practitioners face in the field. By evaluating performance in simulated incidents, training programs can measure not only technical knowledge but also practical skills, as well as critical thinking, decision-making, and the ability to remain effective under pressure.
The Pentagon’s chief information officer recently launched a cyber apprenticeship program that includes training in areas such as network defense and the application of artificial intelligence to cyber threat analysis. The program combines online learning, labs, and mentorship to build AI-enabled cyber capabilities within the workforce.
AI has the potential to be a good technological force for humanity. We need America’s public and private sectors to innovate in ways that enable these positive advances while addressing the security risks that come with operating at the cutting edge of a technological revolution. The path from ad hoc use of AI to managed and effective programs can be effectively pursued by leveraging the “Protect, Leverage, Govern” framework for AI cybersecurity, as outlined in the SANS Secure AI Blueprint and AI Security Maturity Model.
Ongoing performance-based training is a key element in ensuring that organizations can develop new mission-based AI technologies for government without jeopardizing national security. Finally, we must never allow the speed of AI innovation to outpace the preparedness of the defenders tasked with protecting it. We must also remain focused on delivering the results that matter most to our warfighters on the front lines of defense.
Michael Harrison is Managing Director, North America Public Sector, SANS Institute.
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