On July 27, 2026, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) published the initial public draft of Special Publication 800-239 titled "AI Data Center Security Analysis: A High-Performance Computing (HPC) Driven Approach." This draft offers a comprehensive threat and gap analysis specifically focused on purpose-built AI data center infrastructure utilized for both training and inference tasks.

The publication aims to provide a foundational framework for analyzing security vulnerabilities and risks associated with emerging AI data centers, emphasizing high-performance computing environments. NIST has opened the draft for public comment, inviting stakeholders to submit feedback and insights.

The public comment period will remain open until September 25, 2026, allowing experts and organizations to contribute to the refinement of the security analysis. This effort underscores NIST's commitment to advancing security standards in AI infrastructure through collaborative development and transparency.