A foundation of quicksand: How AI slop is impacting public sector security

The narrative in cybersecurity suggesting that "AI slop" is the biggest emerging threat is misleading, as the real issue lies in the unstable foundations on which critical systems are built. While AI does elevate the speed and efficiency of cyber threats, it primarily exposes pre-existing vulnerabilities, such as unpatched systems and weak identity controls, that have been neglected for years. The Secure by Design initiative aims to shift the burden of security from end users to technology developers, but its execution remains insufficient as many organizations prioritize compliance over actual resilience. The rise of AI-assisted offensive security emphasizes the need for continuous, adaptive defenses and the involvement of the global hacker community to creatively identify and address vulnerabilities. Public sector organizations must adopt a proactive, adversarial approach to security, treating it as an ongoing process rather than an occasional event, and effectively utilizing external security talent to manage risks at the speed demanded by current threats.