White Paper: Adopting an AI-Enhanced Risk-Based Approach for Cybersecurity Efficiency

Federal agencies are entering a new phase of cybersecurity defined by the rapid integration of artificial intelligence into enterprise systems, security tooling, and mission applications. Unlike prior technology shifts, AI introduces a fundamentally different risk model—one characterized by autonomy, opacity,
and scale. Participants described a widening gap between the speed of AI adoption and the maturity of governance, acquisition, and risk frameworks needed to manage it. Traditional approaches—built around static systems, predictable behavior, and clearly attributable human decision-making—are increasingly insufficient.