Cisco bets on small AI for cybersecurity

Cisco is releasing two open-weight AI models, named Antares, specifically designed to identify software vulnerabilities within large codebases. These models aim to offer a more cost-effective and private solution for companies compared to larger, third-party AI providers. Cisco trained Antares to function as a security investigator, capable of searching repositories and pinpointing potential security weaknesses with high accuracy, performing comparably to much larger models in testing.

• Cisco has launched two small, open-weight AI models called Antares to detect software vulnerabilities.
• The Antares models performed comparably to larger models like GPT-5.5 and GLM-5.2 on a new Cisco benchmark.
• Antares-350M and Antares-1B will be available on Hugging Face to verified cyber defenders.
• These smaller models are designed to run locally, allowing companies to keep sensitive source code private.
• Cisco’s testing showed Antares scanning 500 repositories for under $1 in about 15 minutes, versus hours and over $100 for GPT-5.5.
• Antares is trained to act as a security investigator, searching for vulnerabilities rather than assisting with general coding.
• Cisco collaborated with U.S. government agencies on the models’ safety and release, and will vet users to prevent access by adversaries.
• Cisco is exploring an industry consortium to further develop open AI security tools.
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