Anthropic launched the Anthropic Cyber Mission on October 8, 2026, calling it a long-term commitment to securing the systems everyone depends on. The goal is to give defenders, the people who protect software and systems, tools, research and resources. It starts with two areas: critical infrastructure, such as power grids, water systems and transportation networks, and open-source software, the free, shared code most software is built on.
Anthropic’s reasoning is that frontier models can also be misused to exploit vulnerabilities and run cyber operations, and that state-sponsored attackers have spent years gaining footholds in these systems. According to the company, it has never been easier to find vulnerabilities, but verifying, prioritizing and fixing them is still hard. In Project Glasswing, where partners used its models to hunt for flaws, it often saw months pass between a bug being found and being fixed. Earlier the same week, Project Glasswing was folded into the expanded Cyber Verification Program, which gives more defenders access to the company’s most capable models.
OSS Scanner: free scans for open-source projects
The piece developers will notice first is OSS Scanner, an opt-in service inspired by Google’s OSS-Fuzz. Enrolled projects get periodic scans from Anthropic’s most capable models, free of charge. Each report includes a proof of concept showing how the bug could be exploited, an explanation, and a suggested fix where one is available.
Anthropic stresses that the reports are model-generated and sent without human review. That gets them to maintainers faster, but some will contain mistakes, such as a wrong severity rating. The company expects a true-positive rate above 90% and says it will work to improve accuracy and fix quality over time. The service is meant for projects that can keep up with the findings. Other projects will keep receiving human-verified reports under Anthropic’s coordinated vulnerability disclosure policy.
Next, Anthropic says it wants to bring the scanner to more projects, offer automated triage and patching to projects that want it, and research ways to write more secure code from the start. The company has funded organizations behind widely used open-source code, including the Python Software Foundation, Alpha-Omega and OpenSSF through the Linux Foundation, and the Apache Software Foundation. The Defender Advantage Fund, launched in August, keeps OSS Scanner free. Maintainers can also apply to Claude for Open Source for a free Claude Max subscription.
A program to defend critical infrastructure
Power grids, water utilities, factories and transportation networks run on controllers and software built to last for decades, and they often cannot be taken offline to patch, so known vulnerabilities can stay open for years. Anthropic introduced the Critical Infrastructure Defense Program, which brings frontier Claude models, on-site engineers and threat research to the providers infrastructure operators already trust. The founding partners are Accenture, Booz Allen, CrowdStrike, Deloitte, Dragos, Hitachi, Insane Cyber, Nozomi Networks, Palo Alto Networks, PwC and Rockwell Automation.
Anthropic says the work is underway, with several partners already using Claude to fix vulnerabilities and help customers do the same. The company notes that in June it launched a cyber defense program for US state, local, tribal and territorial governments, and has since offered models and technical support to more than half of US states. Over the coming months, the program will expand to more partners and sectors. Anthropic’s forecast is that within two years AI will favor defenders, but that may not be true in the near term.
What it means for you
- Maintain an open-source project? You can enroll in OSS Scanner for free scans. Keep in mind the reports are not human-reviewed, and only sign up if you have time to handle the findings.
- Security vendors: Anthropic invites companies that build security products or services for critical infrastructure to register interest in the program through the announcement page.
- Availability: Anthropic did not announce regional limits for OSS Scanner. The infrastructure work so far centers on US public-sector operators, with global partners such as Hitachi, Accenture and PwC on board.
- Want to know more about Claude and its plans? Everything is in our complete Claude guide, and more updates are in AI News.
Sources
- Anthropic, official website: Introducing the Anthropic Cyber Mission, October 8, 2026
- Anthropic, official website: Expanding the Cyber Verification Program, October 6, 2026
