NZ gets access to hacking Mythos AI as Trump shores up national security on AI

New Zealand's cyber watchdog has been given access to a frontier AI model with worrisome hacking powers at the same time as US President Donald Trump moves to shore up US national security against any threats.

Anthropic, the creator of the Mythos AI, has begun distributing it to 150 organisations worldwide beyond the smaller US group it gave access to in April.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) here said it had received access on behalf of the New Zealand government.

"The NCSC already has productive working relationships with a range of international partners and vendors, including some who have had access to preview models, but direct access will strengthen our national cyber security mission," it told RNZ on Thursday.

Those already with access have been testing Mythos' ability to break into systems. Anthropic then let them share cybersecurity threats with others who might face similar vulnerabilities.

In the US, a second congressional Homeland Security hearing was scheduled for Thursday on frontier AI threats.

Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday for vetting of advanced AI for national security risks.

"Advanced AI capabilities make our nation stronger, but also introduce new national security considerations that require coordinated action across executive departments and agencies," it said.

Trump pulled out of signing an AI order in May, saying it might hold the US back.

The new order sought to "harden" information systems against the threats, and requested that "AI companies voluntarily provide the federal government access to 'covered frontier models' for a cybersecurity review up to 30 days before their planned release to 'other trusted partners'," reported the Council for Foreign Relations in the US.

The NCSC said it welcomed Anthropic's provision of access to Mythos as it would help with its response to cyber security risks and opportunities around frontier AI, including with advice to local organisations to help improve their cyber security.

"As frontier AI models improve, they will change the cyber threat landscape for organisations because of the ability for malicious actors to find and exploit vulnerabilities at unprecedented speed and scale.

"However, AI can also assist network defenders in their work and increase their ability to protect systems at scale and pace."

Its advice was to patch software frequently, limit where an attack could get in, review how vulnerabilities are managed and monitor a lot.

Access for defence, though it could be used for offence - official

Deputy director-general cyber security Catriona Robinson told Midday Report it was a great opportunity for New Zealand's cyber watchdog through its Project Glasswing cybersecurity initiative.

"The rise in models like Mythos really changed the cyber threat landscape," she told Midday Report.

Robinson said the NSCS will use it to improve its understanding of the evolving cyber threat landscape.

She did not rule out the potential for offensive capability.

"The Glasswing project was set up as an industry collaboration to use that product defensively, so that potentially vulnerable product could be tested and made more secure before general release…

"The capabilities that AI tools such as Anthropic create, certainly they inform offensive as well as defensive capabilities. As I said, our intent in joining Glasswing is for a cyber security, cyber defence mandate."

Robinson said the NCSC had been talking with Anthropic and other partners in industry and in governments around the world for some time.

"We've been expressing our interest in participating in the opportunities that Glasswing provides and we were delighted when Anthropic invited us to join earlier this week.

"The NCSC is a business group of the [Government Communications Security Bureau], but our function and mandate is cyber security for New Zealand. And the expectation that we have with Anthropic is that we will use the Glasswing Access to improve our understanding of the evolving cyber threat landscape and therefore our ability to support New Zealand on cyber security."

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