Cybersecurity corporations joining forces with NSA to bolster financially strapped defense industry collaborators
The National Security Agency (NSA) has teamed up with the cybersecurity firm Horizon3.ai to provide free security services and penetration tests to small defense companies, aiming to protect these under-resourced entities from sophisticated nation-state cyber threats.
The collaboration, part of the NSA’s efforts to safeguard the U.S. Defense Industrial Base (DIB), is particularly focused on tackling the growing cyber threats from China.
Key offerings of the initiative include:
- Continuous Autonomous Penetration Testing (CAPT) program: Launched in 2024, this program uses Horizon3.ai’s NodeZero platform to deliver automated, ongoing penetration testing for small DoD contractors free of charge. The goal is to proactively identify vulnerabilities within their networks without requiring large in-house security teams.
- Classified information sharing and protective DNS services: Through the Cybersecurity Collaboration Center, the NSA shares classified threat intelligence and offers a protective DNS service to defend small contractors from cyber exploitation attempts.
The program initially supported about 200 small contractors in 2024 and expanded to about 1,000 participants in 2025, with plans to further enhance these capabilities by incorporating AI agents for more advanced pretesting.
This initiative addresses the unique challenges small defense companies face, who typically have limited cybersecurity budgets and expertise but are increasingly targeted by sophisticated cyber adversaries. The NSA’s collaboration with Horizon3.ai and other emerging cybersecurity firms enables access to expert security testing and threat intelligence at no cost to these vulnerable organizations.
The DIB, once limited to traditional defense contractors, now includes a diverse range of companies from nascent and emerging industries, such as artificial intelligence companies, commercial transportation firms, and foreign-owned infrastructure operators. The changing battle space in the DIB requires new solutions that can effectively cover a wide range of industries and companies.
A notable example of the need for such solutions is a small defense contractor visited by the NSA’s chief of DIB defense, who found an unsecured IT environment despite manufacturing custom radio frequency solutions for military personnel in austere locations.
Small companies in the U.S. defense industrial base are often unaware that they are potential targets for Chinese hackers. China has stolen more corporate data from the United States than any other nation in the world, and the defense industrial base is predominantly composed of small businesses, which have limited cybersecurity resources and minimal awareness of security best practices.
The NSA recognizes the need for new solutions that are scalable to cover the new ground presented by the changing battle space in the DIB. By partnering with Horizon3.ai and other up-and-coming companies, the NSA is working to address the challenges posed by the growing diversity of companies in the DIB and to help these smaller entities face off against nation-state-backed actors.
[1] NSA Partners with Horizon3.ai to Offer Free Security Services to Small Defense Companies (2025) [2] NSA Expands Free Cybersecurity Services to 1,000 Small Defense Contractors (2025) [3] NSA's Efforts to Protect Small Defense Contractors from Cyber Threats (2024)
- The collaboration between the National Security Agency (NSA) and Horizon3.ai, aimed at safeguarding the U.S. Defense Industrial Base (DIB), underscores the importance of privacy and cybersecurity in the era of advancing technology, particularly in light of growing threats from China.
- As part of its efforts to enhance cybersecurity, the NSA's initiative includes continuous autonomous penetration testing (CAPT) program, which uses technology to proactively identify vulnerabilities and provide free protection for small defense companies, addressing their limited resources and expertise.
