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CISA

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is actively involved in advancing the concept of an Artificial Intelligence Bill of Materials (AI BOM) as part of its broader effort to secure AI systems and critical infrastructure. Here's an overview of their current initiatives and efforts:

AI BOM and Security Initiatives​

  1. AI BOM Development:

    • Transparency and Traceability: CISA is promoting the use of AI BOMs to enhance transparency and traceability in AI systems. This initiative aims to document all components of AI models, including data sources, model architectures, and dependencies, similar to the Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) used in traditional software security.
    • Collaboration and Community Engagement: CISA collaborates with various stakeholders, including federal agencies, private sector companies, and international partners, to develop and refine AI BOM practices. This involves community-driven efforts to create standardised formats and tools for generating AI BOMs.

  2. AI Cybersecurity Roadmap:

    • Five Lines of Effort:

    CISA's AI cybersecurity roadmap outlines five key areas of focus:

    1. Responsible AI Use: Ensuring AI tools used by CISA are deployed responsibly and ethically.
    2. Assurance of AI Systems: Providing best practices for secure AI development and implementation across diverse sectors.
    3. Protection of Critical Infrastructure: Assessing and mitigating AI threats to critical infrastructure.
    4. Collaboration and Communication: Engaging with interagency and international partners to develop universal AI security best practices.
    5. Workforce Development: Enhancing AI expertise within CISA through training and recruitment.

Specific Actions and Collaborations​

  1. Joint Guidance and Best Practices:
    • Secure Deployment of AI Systems: In collaboration with the National Security Agency (NSA) and international cybersecurity agencies, CISA has published joint guidance on the secure deployment of AI systems. This guidance covers methodologies to protect, detect, and respond to AI-related threats (CISA).
  2. Public Communication and Awareness:
    • Information Sharing: CISA commits to sharing information about known AI cybersecurity threats, particularly those affecting critical infrastructure. This includes organizing events like the "SBOM-a-Rama" to discuss advancements in SBOM and AI BOM practices (CISA) (CPO Magazine).
  3. Critical Infrastructure Focus:
    • Risk Management for Critical Sectors: CISA emphasizes the importance of developing AI security measures for critical infrastructure sectors, acknowledging the increasing weaponization of AI by malicious actors. This involves proactive measures to ensure that AI tools are secure by design and resilient against cyber threats (CISA) (CPO Magazine).

Conclusion​

CISA's efforts in the domain of AI BOM and AI security reflect a comprehensive approach to managing the risks associated with AI technologies. By fostering transparency through AI BOMs, collaborating on international best practices, and focusing on the security of critical infrastructure, CISA aims to create a robust framework for the safe and ethical deployment of AI systems.

For more detailed information, you can visit CISA's official page on AI initiatives and the latest updates on their AI cybersecurity roadmap (CISA) (CISA) (CPO Magazine) (CISA).