From Texts to Shields: Convergence of Large Language Models and Cybersecurity

TL;DR

This report investigates how large language models can be integrated into cybersecurity, highlighting applications, challenges, and strategies for safe and effective deployment in security-critical domains.

Contribution

It synthesizes interdisciplinary insights and proposes a research agenda for deploying LLMs securely and ethically in cybersecurity contexts.

Findings

LLMs enable automation and reasoning in security tasks

Strategies like human-in-the-loop improve trust and transparency

Addressing interpretability and fairness is crucial for high-stakes use

Abstract

This report explores the convergence of large language models (LLMs) and cybersecurity, synthesizing interdisciplinary insights from network security, artificial intelligence, formal methods, and human-centered design. It examines emerging applications of LLMs in software and network security, 5G vulnerability analysis, and generative security engineering. The report highlights the role of agentic LLMs in automating complex tasks, improving operational efficiency, and enabling reasoning-driven security analytics. Socio-technical challenges associated with the deployment of LLMs -- including trust, transparency, and ethical considerations -- can be addressed through strategies such as human-in-the-loop systems, role-specific training, and proactive robustness testing. The report further outlines critical research challenges in ensuring interpretability, safety, and fairness in LLM-based systems, particularly in high-stakes domains. By integrating technical advances with organizational and societal considerations, this report presents a forward-looking research agenda for the secure and effective adoption of LLMs in cybersecurity.