{"slug": "anthropic-expands-cyber-verification-program-with-new-access-tiers", "title": "Anthropic expands Cyber Verification Program with new access tiers", "summary": "Anthropic expanded its Cyber Verification Program on October 6, 2026, adding three access tiers — Defense Access, Red Team Access, and Specialized Access — that let verified security organizations use Claude Opus 5.5, Sonnet 5.5, and Mythos 5.1 for defensive and offensive cyber work. Red Team Access is restricted to organizations and performed on par with unrestricted use on CyScenarioBench, completing 34 of 50 assessed tasks, while Defense Access blocked the majority of complex offensive scenarios and prohibited activity remains blocked for all users. Existing participants including Forescout and Ridge Security transition automatically into the new program.", "body_md": "# Anthropic expands Cyber Verification Program with new access tiers\n\nSecurity teams can now apply for Defense, Red Team, or Specialized Access to advanced Claude models, with prohibited uses still blocked across the board\n\n[Anthropic](https://cryptobriefing.com/markets/anthropic/) wants to give security professionals sharper tools without handing the same tools to the people they’re defending against.\n\nOn October 6, 2026, the company expanded its Cyber Verification Program (CVP) with three new access tiers. Qualifying security organizations can now use advanced Claude models for both defensive and offensive cyber work, as long as they clear a verification process and stay inside the lines.\n\nThe models on offer are Claude Opus 5.5, Sonnet 5.5, and Mythos 5.1.\n\n## Three doors, three sets of keys\n\nThe new structure splits access into Defense Access, Red Team Access, and Specialized Access. Each tier unlocks a different slice of capability.\n\n**Defense Access** covers the blue-team staples: security operations center work, incident response, and reverse-engineering malware.\n\n**Red Team Access** is for authorized penetration testing. Anthropic is limiting this tier to organizations only, so individual freelancers looking to moonlight as hackers-for-hire will need to look elsewhere.\n\n**Specialized Access** sits at the top. It involves testing critical systems and comes with US government review baked in.\n\n### AI, tech, and the markets they move—in one daily briefing.\n\nDaily. Free. Join 34,000+ readers across crypto, finance, and policy.\n\n## The dual-use problem, in tiers\n\nUnder the expanded program, Anthropic will relax some of its high-risk dual-use classifiers for verified users. Classifiers are the automated filters that scan requests and block ones that look dangerous.\n\nProhibited activity stays blocked for everyone, verified or not.\n\nGetting in requires an application with tier-specific requirements centered on proof of security controls. Processing times scale with risk. Basic tiers can take a few days. Red Team Access applications can take a few weeks.\n\n## Putting the tiers to the test\n\nAnthropic pointed to results from an evaluation using CyScenarioBench to show the tiers work as intended.\n\nDefense Access blocked the majority of complex offensive scenarios. Red Team Access, by contrast, performed on par with unrestricted use, successfully completing 34 out of 50 assessed tasks.\n\n## From a select group to a wider field\n\nThe CVP expansion builds on earlier efforts, including Project Glasswing. Previous support focused on a select group of critical infrastructure defenders. Now the program reaches a broader range of organizations doing legitimate cybersecurity work.\n\nExisting participants won’t need to start over. Prior CVP members, including Forescout and Ridge Security, are transitioning into the new program automatically.\n\n**Disclosure:** This article was edited by Diego Almada Lopez. For more information on how we create and review content, see our\n\n[Editorial Policy](https://cryptobriefing.com/editorial-policy/).", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/anthropic-expands-cyber-verification-program-with-new-access-tiers", "canonical_source": "https://cryptobriefing.com/anthropic-expands-cyber-verification-program-tiers/", "published_at": "2026-10-06 19:06:37+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-10-06 19:19:39.735416+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-policy", "ai-safety", "large-language-models", "ai-products"], "entities": ["Anthropic", "Cyber Verification Program", "Claude Opus 5.5", "Claude Sonnet 5.5", "Mythos 5.1", "CyScenarioBench", "Project Glasswing", "Forescout"], "also_reported_by": [], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/anthropic-expands-cyber-verification-program-with-new-access-tiers", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/anthropic-expands-cyber-verification-program-with-new-access-tiers.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/anthropic-expands-cyber-verification-program-with-new-access-tiers.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/anthropic-expands-cyber-verification-program-with-new-access-tiers.jsonld"}}