Google launches new initiative to strengthen cybersecurity ecosystem

Google today announced the launch of the "AI Cyber Defense Initiative" to help transform the cybersecurity ecosystem. The initiative harnesses the security potential of artificial intelligence (AI) through a proposed policy and technology agenda which the tech giant says will help secure, empower and advance our collective digital future.

As part of this initiative, Google has announced a new "AI for Cybersecurity" startup cohort of 17 startups from the UK, US and EU to help strengthen the transatlantic cybersecurity ecosystem with internationalization strategies, AI tools, and the skills to use them.

Google is also expanding its $15 million Google.org Cybersecurity Seminars Program for cybersecurity skilling across Europe. The program supports universities to train the next generation of cybersecurity experts from underserved communities.

Furthermore, Google is committing $2 million to help strengthen cybersecurity research initiatives using AI, including enhancing code verification, improving understanding of how AI can help with cyber offense and countermeasures for defense, and developing large language models that are more resilient to threats.

Google is also open-sourcing Magika, an AI-powered fast and efficient file type identification system, to help others improve their file identification accuracy and offer researchers a reliable method for identifying file types at scale.

"For decades, cyber threats have challenged security professionals, governments, businesses and civil society. AI can tip the scales and give defenders a decisive advantage over attackers. But like any technology, AI can also be used by bad actors and become a vector for vulnerabilities if it's not securely developed and deployed," Google wrote in a blog post.