CISA leads its first tabletop exercise for AI cybersecurity

Last Thursday, the federal government conducted its first tabletop exercise for artificial intelligence (AI) incident response, collaborating with partners from across the country and abroad to prepare for potential AI-related threats. Led by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) under the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative (JCDC), the exercise brought together 50 AI experts from 15 companies and several international cyber defense agencies.

This initiative is part of the Biden administration’s ongoing efforts to mitigate risks associated with AI as companies like Microsoft rapidly release AI-enabled products that could be exploited by cybercriminals. While CISA did not disclose specific details of the three modules in the exercise, the focus was on understanding AI-related cyber incidents, determining necessary information sharing, and enhancing collaboration between industry and government.

According to Clayton Romans, Associate Director of the JCDC at CISA, the exercise aimed to establish a common lexicon and understanding among new and experienced companies in the AI space, building a baseline for mutual understanding and technological cooperation.

The four-hour tabletop exercise contributes to the development of CISA’s upcoming AI Security Incident Collaboration Playbook. Scheduled for release at the end of 2024, this playbook will detail specific incident response coordination between the public and private sectors as well as international agencies, marking the first of many collaborative efforts from the JCDC.

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