BLUF: Cyber Force
In our experience, Washington has a bad habit of waiting for a crisis before focusing on cybersecurity. But this week, it showed a rare sign of getting ahead of the game on two fronts.
On Tuesday, President Trump signed the long-awaited AI executive order titled, "Promoting Advanced Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Security." It directs federal agencies to establish a framework for the secure deployment of frontier AI models — including a voluntary process by which AI companies would provide the government with early access to their most advanced models for up to 30 days prior to public release. Simultaneously, it directs CISA to issue binding directives to harden civilian federal systems and expand AI-enabled defensive tools. The message is clear: take cyber seriously, or else.
As we're sure you already know, this all follows the uproar behind Anthropic's Claude Mythos — a double-edged sword that has captivated and alarmed government officials and Wall Street alike for its state-of-the-art cyber capabilities. To its credit, Anthropic has done its part through Project Glasswing, assembling a coalition of over 150 organizations across 15 countries to get ahead of the threat. But U.S. cyber preparedness in the age of AI is only one-half of the cyber equation.
On the Hill, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is spearheading an amendment to the FY2027 NDAA that would establish a Cyber Force as the next branch of the military, sitting under the Army — like the structure that is used for Space Force and Marine Corps within the Air Force and Navy respectively. While not an entirely new idea, the CSIS Commission on U.S. Cyber Force Generation added academic weight to that push this week with an 83-page white paper making the case for a dedicated cyber service — with an estimated price tag of $11 billion.
The convergence of a new AI executive order along with increased steam to strengthen our military posture on cyber suggests the conversation is finally moving from whitepapers to legislation and action.
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