Adopting AI with confidence: New cyber security guidelines for the public service

• National Cyber Security Centre publishes Securing AI, the cyber security companion to the Government's framework for responsible AI in the public service

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), under the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration today published "Securing AI Adoption in the Public Sector", new guidance to help public sector bodies adopt artificial intelligence securely and with confidence. The guidelines are published with the support of the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation (DPER) and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE), which leads on the implementation of the EU AI Act.

The guidelines deliver on a commitment in Digital Ireland - Connecting our People, Securing our Future, the National Digital and AI Strategy published by the Government in February 2026, which committed the NCSC to publishing guidance on the secure use of AI in the public service. They form part of a wider package of government support for the responsible and secure adoption of AI across the public service. They are the cyber security companion to the DPER guidelines for the Responsible Use of AI in the Public Service, which set the overarching framework for how the public service adopts and uses AI, and they support compliance with the EU AI Act.

The guidelines are accompanied by an AI Cyber Security Risk Assessment, which sets out the principal cyber security risks associated with AI deployments. Where the AI Cyber Security Risk Assessment identifies the risks, the guidelines give public sector bodies concrete, actionable measures to prevent or mitigate them across the full life cycle of an AI system - from design and development through to deployment, maintenance, and secure retirement. The measures are deliberately flexible: how they are applied varies with the type and complexity of the deployment, and the guidelines include worked examples to help organisations apply them in practice.

While the guidelines are designed for the public sector, the principles and measures they set out are applicable to organisations of every kind. The NCSC will continue to publish supportive guidance on the secure deployment of AI over the coming months.

The Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, Jack Chambers TD:

"The public service is already doing excellent work in putting AI to use, to improve how it serves the public, and these guidelines are designed to support and build on that. They give public sector bodies another practical tool to deploy AI with confidence, alongside our guidelines for the Responsible Use of AI in the Public Service. Our focus is on enabling the public service to keep moving forward with this technology, and to do so securely and responsibly."

The Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Jim O'Callaghan, TD:

"AI is a powerful tool, and the public service must look at the best ways to deploy it. My priority is to make sure it is adopted in a way that protects the security of our public sector bodies and our national security. Through the National Cyber Security Centre, my department is giving public sector bodies the practical tools to do exactly that, to take advantage of what AI offers while keeping their systems, their data, and the State secure."

Director, National Cyber Security Centre, Dr. Richard Browne:

"AI is changing the world of cyber security for attackers and defenders alike. Part of these guidelines are about ensuring public bodies can take full advantage of it, adopting AI in a way that strengthens how we secure our networks and systems rather than exposing them to new risk. They are built on international standards and set out clear, practical steps any organisation can follow, whatever the scale of its project. This is part of a sustained programme of support from the NCSC."

ENDS…///

• The guidelines are available here Securing AI: Cyber Security guidelines for the Irish Public Sector
• The risk assessment is available here NCSC AI Cyber Security Risk Assessment: Public Sector Deployment
• The guidelines are the cyber security companion to the DPER guidelines for the Responsible Use of AI in the Public Service (2025) and align with ETSI EN 304 223, the European baseline standard for securing AI.
• They are accompanied by an NCSC AI Cyber Security Risk Assessment and will be followed by additional resources including a companion assessment tool to help organisations apply the guidance across the AI life cycle.
• The guidelines deliver on a commitment under Digital Ireland - Connecting our People, Securing our Future (2026) and support compliance with the EU AI Act and the NIS2 Directive.
• The NCSC is under the aegis of the Department of the Justice, Home Affairs and Migration. It is responsible for leading in the management of major cyber security incidents across government, providing guidance and advice to citizens and businesses on major cyber security incidents, and developing strong international relationships in the global cyber security community for the purposes of information sharing.
• The NCSC previously released a statement on the increasing pace of cyber security capabilities of frontier AI models which can be found here.