Frontier AI: Critical Defense Program

Proactive vulnerability defense for the AI era

Be a collaborator

The AI Threat Landscape: Why Traditional Defenses are Falling Behind

AI models have collapsed the window between vulnerability discovery and active exploitation from days to hours. For critical infrastructure environments this accelerated timeline makes traditional patching cycles a significant challenge. Threat actors weaponize exploits faster than vendors can ship updates and operators can validate and deploy safely.

Critical Defense Program (CDP) is an effort to drive closer collaboration between the cybersecurity industry and software providers, AI labs, OSS community, IoT/OT and medical device vendors. The program combines trusted collaborator information on vulnerabilities with AI-driven research and threat intelligence to generate virtual patches to protect customers before software updates are deployed.

By facilitating the secure sharing of vulnerability intelligence, CDP enables participating collaborators to enable network-level "virtual patches" for their customers, neutralizing threats before vulnerabilities can be actively weaponized in the wild.

The Three Pillars of Ecosystem Defense

CDP is structured on three core pillars:

Trusted Vulnerability Information Sharing: Collaborators safely exchange sensitive vulnerability information within a secure, embargoed network designed to protect all parties.
Coordinated Virtual Patching ("Air Cover"): Palo Alto Networks uses this information to build and deploy robust network-level protections (“virtual patches”) that block active exploitation before a customer has fully deployed a patch.
Attack Telemetry Sharing: Palo Alto Networks provides anonymized, in-the-wild exploitation telemetry back to the software manufacturer. This feedback loop grants collaborators critical visibility into how their products are being targeted and weaponized globally, optimizing their security engineering.

Why should you join the program?

Build Trust into Your Brand Identity

Signal a strong commitment to securing customers from AI-discovered vulnerabilities and exploits.

Defend Zero-Day Vulnerabilities

Close the window of exposure. Ensure customers are actively shielded during the highest-risk periods.

Protect Critical Infrastructure

Provide immediate air cover for legacy, unpatchable or ICS/OT systems, maintaining continuous uptime without sacrificing security.

Gain Valuable Product Security Telemetry

Receive real-world exploitation telemetry to sharpen your remediation efforts.

With the Frontier AI: Critical Defense Program, Palo Alto Networks is ending the era of isolated defense to architect a unified ecosystem of collective resilience for critical infrastructure. Alongside the world’s leading software, OSS community and OT/Medical Device innovators, we are transitioning the industry from reactive firefighting to coordinated, proactive virtual patching, neutralizing threats and shielding customers before an exploit is weaponized in the wild.

Nikesh Arora

CEO of Palo Alto Networks.

FAQ

Critical Defense Program FAQs

What is virtual patching?

Virtual patching provides the capability to mitigate risks in critical infrastructure environments where operational constraints make it difficult to patch devices. With virtual patching, you can deploy network-level protections.

What is the Critical Defense Program (CDP)?

The Critical Defense Program (CDP) is a proactive framework that addresses the acceleration of AI-driven threats. The program brings together industry leaders across industrial & medical OT, commercial software and open source software (OSS) projects in shielding customers. Collaborators can share vulnerability information with Palo Alto Networks, enabling the rapid deployment of network level 'virtual patches' to reduce customer exposure. Customers are protected while they work on applying official software patches.

What is the benefit of becoming a collaborator?

By joining the Critical Defense Program, collaborators protect their customers through three key advantages:

Minimize exposure securing critical infrastructure - provides crucial "air cover" before official patches can be deployed
Create trust with customers - Signals a public commitment to security, in the era of AI discovered vulnerabilities and exploits
Prioritize remediation efforts - Participants receive anonymized data on real-world exploitation attempts to inform remediation efforts

How do I become a part of the Critical Defense Program?

Please reach out to CriticalDefenseProgram@paloaltonetworks.com