Trust in the Age of AI: Why Cyera Is Bringing Data Security to the Federal Frontlines

I've been in this business for nearly 30 years, and if there's one thing I’ve learned, it’s that trust is everything. Without it, systems fail, teams stall, and missions don’t get accomplished.

Lately, there's been a lot of talk about AI - and for good reason. It’s already reshaping how government agencies operate. Federal agencies have more than doubled their use of AI since 2023, with major departments like HHS, VA, DHS, and DOI accounting for half of all reported use cases. From streamlining operations to enabling smarter decisions and enhancing anomaly detection, AI is clearly becoming essential to how agencies execute their missions.

‍But with that power comes risk, especially when sensitive data is fueling these AI systems. And that’s where trust becomes fragile.

The truth is, we’ve spent years building firewalls, securing endpoints, and trying to patch together a story of protection. But when it comes to data (especially where it lives, how it moves, and who can access it), visibility has been patchy at best. That’s a dangerous blind spot, particularly in a federal landscape that’s becoming more cloud-driven, distributed, and AI-enabled by the day.

It’s important to recognize that data security within a federal agency isn’t entirely the same for enterprises. It’s more layered and, in many ways, more consequential:

1. Federal data directly impacts public welfare and national interests. Whether it’s veteran records, infrastructure blueprints, or public health data, the information being processed in federal systems has far-reaching implications. There's little room for error and even less for delayed response.

2. Government systems operate under a higher degree of oversight and transparency. The rules are strict and the tolerance for risk is low. Federal agencies don’t just need to be secure, they need to prove it continuously, to stakeholders ranging from the OMB to the American public.

3. Many agencies still rely on a complex mix of legacy systems and modern cloud platforms. That creates natural blind spots in data visibility and is fertile ground for misconfigurations, shadow data, and security gaps, especially when AI is introduced without governance.

That’s why I’m proud that Cyera is taking the next step in our journey to support federal agencies. Our team has officially begun the FedRAMP authorization process, and while it’s a rigorous path, it’s the right one. We’re partnering with Coalfire, one of the best in the business, to help us meet the high standards the government - and frankly, the public - deserves.

“At Coalfire, we view FedRAMP not just as a framework for compliance, but as a foundation for mission-ready security,” added Nathan Demuth, Vice President, Delivery at Coalfire. “Cyera’s commitment to earning trust in the AI era, by securing the data that drives government operations, is exactly the kind of leadership federal agencies need as they modernize. We’re proud to partner with innovators who put national interests and public confidence at the core of their security journey.”

‍But here’s the thing: FedRAMP isn’t the finish line. It’s a baseline.

True trust in this AI era means going beyond compliance. It means providing real-time, unified visibility into sensitive data, wherever it lives. It means using AI not just for automation or scale, but to actually understand the context around data—its sensitivity, its purpose, and its risk. The very definition of intelligence, for data driven business decisions; It means helping agencies lead with confidence, not caution.

We’re entering a new era of digital governance, and I believe Cyera is showing up at just the right time. We have the right technology, and more importantly, the right mindset. We’re here to be a partner in trust, not just a provider of tools.