A new artificial intelligence cybersecurity initiative will be aimed at protecting California state systems and critical infrastructure from emerging AI-enabled cyber threats.
The initiative, announced Aug. 11 by Governor Gavin Newsom, calls for the creation of an AI Cyber Defense Program within the California Cybersecurity Integration Center, or Cal-CSIC, and directs state agencies to increase cybersecurity coordination, expand access to AI-enabled defenses and improve preparation for cyber incidents involving artificial intelligence.
The program builds on executive orders Newsom issued in 2023 and 2026 addressing the state government’s use of artificial intelligence.
“The digital environment is rapidly evolving before our eyes. Attacks are faster, more sophisticated, and more frequent, putting at risk the basic systems families count on,” Newsom said in a statement. “California can either wait for the next crisis, or we can build the kind of defenses this moment demands. We are choosing to build.”
Under the initiative, the state will:
Establish an AI Cyber Defense Program within Cal-CSIC focused on vulnerability detection, network security and incident response;
Expand access to cybersecurity capabilities, including AI-enabled defensive tools, for local governments and critical infrastructure partners; and
Require each state agency to designate an AI cybersecurity officer.
The administration said the measures are intended to address the increasing use of artificial intelligence in cyber operations. AI developers have reported that advanced systems can perform increasingly sophisticated cybersecurity tasks, while security researchers and government officials have warned that malicious actors can use AI to make some cyberattacks faster, less expensive and easier to scale.
“Artificial intelligence is transforming both the opportunities and the risks in government cybersecurity,” Government Operations Agency Secretary Nick Maduros said. “California is taking a proactive approach — harnessing AI to strengthen our defenses while preparing for the emerging threats these technologies can create.”
Maduros said the initiative is intended to improve the ability of state agencies, local governments and infrastructure operators to detect, prevent and respond to cyber incidents.
California Office of Emergency Services Director Caroline Thomas Jacobs said attacks on infrastructure could affect water, electricity, transportation and emergency communications.
“This new program will help Cal OES and our partners detect threats sooner, share information more efficiently, strengthen defenses, and respond faster,” Jacobs said.
The announcement comes as state and local governments face changes in federal cybersecurity funding and support.
The proposed fiscal 2027 federal budget would reduce funding for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency by about $707 million. Congress will ultimately determine the agency’s appropriations.
Federal funding for the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center ended in late 2025. The organization has provided cybersecurity monitoring, threat intelligence and incident coordination to state, local, tribal and territorial governments. Some services previously supported by federal funding are transitioning to paid models.
The State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program, established through the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law with $1 billion in funding, also is approaching the end of its current funding period. Congress has considered legislation to continue the program, but future funding levels remain subject to the federal appropriations process.
Federal officials also have warned about cyberattacks targeting U.S. infrastructure, including municipal water systems. Such incidents have heightened concerns about the vulnerability of public utilities and other essential services to attacks linked to foreign actors.
The new state program is part of a broader series of California policies addressing artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and data privacy.
Newsom signed Senate Bill 53, the Transparency in Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act, in 2025. The law requires certain developers of advanced AI systems to disclose safety frameworks, report specified safety incidents and provide whistleblower protections.
California also developed Cal-Secure, its statewide cybersecurity roadmap, and released Cal-Secure 2.0 in 2026. The updated plan addresses workforce development, interagency coordination, cybersecurity technology and the use of AI-enabled security tools.
Cal-CSIC serves as the state’s central hub for cyber threat intelligence, incident coordination and assistance to critical infrastructure operators. The newly announced AI Cyber Defense Program will operate within that framework.
California also has adopted privacy measures designed to give consumers greater control over the sale and use of personal information, including requirements for browser-based opt-out mechanisms and development of the Delete Request and Opt-out Platform, known as DROP.
