WASHINGTON – The Business Software Alliance (BSA) today launched Cybersecurity Professionals First, a framework for voluntary public-private partnerships to give qualified cybersecurity professionals priority access to highly capable frontier AI models.  

As frontier models develop more advanced cybersecurity capabilities, government and industry need a clear, predictable process for managing phased rollouts. BSA's framework outlines how government, cybersecurity professionals, and critical infrastructure operators can work together to put advanced capabilities in the hands of trusted defenders first. BSA recommends that government and industry partners identify systems and platforms for evaluating frontier AI security models, establish clear criteria for priority access, and create mechanisms to conclude phased rollouts and make models broadly available.

“Establishing a clear and predictable means for coordinating priority access to advanced AI security models can strengthen the security and resilience of the broader digital ecosystem,” said BSA Senior Director of Policy Henry Young. “A structured, transparent, globally aligned framework can equip stakeholders with proven records of stewardship, capability, and impact with the tools to detect and remediate vulnerabilities – turning frontier innovation into broader cybersecurity gains.”

The Cybersecurity Professionals First framework identifies four criteria for priority access:  

• Predictable Program Design: Clear information about participation, how participants are evaluated, the expected duration of a pre-release phase, and other key details.
• Trust and Transparency: Organizations receiving access should have a history of responsible conduct and compliance, the ability to limit unintended access, and transparency into their ownership and control.
• Capability and Capacity: Organizations should demonstrate the expertise, operational maturity, and experience necessary to use frontier AI models for vulnerability disclosure and remediation.
• Mission and Reach: Organizations should be established actors in defensive cybersecurity and positioned to deliver public benefit through access to models.

Cybersecurity Professionals First builds on BSA’s previous call for a structured, transparent, and globally aligned public-private partnership that gives governments and trusted cybersecurity partners priority access to frontier AI security models.

Read the full Cybersecurity Professionals First framework here.