IBM Offers Free AI-Powered Security Service to Hundreds of US Institutions

IBM and Red Hat have announced that they will provide free access to their AI-powered security service, Lightwell, to over 185 US research universities and 100 NGOs and think tanks.

The service uses generative AI and human engineering expertise to identify, validate, and remediate weaknesses in software dependencies.

This is part of a larger initiative that includes a $5 billion commitment from the companies and support from more than 20,000 engineers.

Since its announcement in May 2026, the Lightwell library has expanded from 6,500 to over 8,000 validated and remediated package versions, including fixes for 64 previously undisclosed vulnerabilities.