OpenAI has expanded its Daybreak cybersecurity initiative with GPT-5.6-Cyber, a specialised model designed for authorised vulnerability research and security testing. The company said it completed 95 percent of advanced cybersecurity requests in an internal evaluation, compared with 1.5 percent for standard GPT-5.6 Sol. Access remains restricted to vetted users and organisations.

OpenAI has expanded its Daybreak cybersecurity initiative and introduced GPT-5.6-Cyber, a specialised version of its GPT-5.6 Sol model trained to reduce refusals on advanced, dual-use security tasks such as exploit-chain development and vulnerability research, the company announced in a blog post dated August 10, 2026. The move is aimed at giving vetted defenders frontier AI capabilities before attackers can deploy similar tools at scale, OpenAI said.

Two access tiers for vetted defenders

Daybreak now offers two tiers. Daybreak Blue gives approved users access to general-purpose models, including GPT-5.6 Sol, with safeguards tailored for authorised defensive work such as vulnerability discovery, secure code review, malware analysis and incident response. Daybreak Red provides access to OpenAI's purpose-built cybersecurity models, including the newly introduced GPT-5.6-Cyber, intended for authorised vulnerability research, exploit validation and security testing.

Sharp drop in refusals