State Launches Free Cybersecurity Chatbot for Businesses
CyberCoach NC, built by North Carolina State University students with Cisco mentors, aims to help small businesses strengthen their cybersecurity.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Cybersecurity
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North Carolina has launched CyberCoach NC, a free chatbot designed to help small businesses strengthen cybersecurity. The tool was unveiled in October 2026 and is hosted on the North Carolina Department of Information Technology website.
Why it matters
The chatbot targets businesses that struggle to implement cybersecurity protections without specialized expertise. The state says it could reach more than 1 million small businesses in North Carolina.
The chatbot is intended to serve more than 1 million small businesses and was developed by ten university students in a cybersecurity practicum course. The available information does not report how many businesses have used the tool or whether it has measurably improved their security.
The players
North Carolina Department of Information Technology
The North Carolina state agency responsible for technology services across state government, which hosts the chatbot on its website.
Cisco
A global networking and cybersecurity technology company whose engineers mentored the students who built the chatbot.
North Carolina State University
A public research university in Raleigh whose students developed CyberCoach NC in a cybersecurity practicum course.
The details
Businesses can sign in with their business accounts to ask cybersecurity questions at any hour. Students tested an early version with small businesses to check accuracy and usability before the public release, and the North Carolina Department of Information Technology prepared it for the state website with support from the Department of the Secretary of State.
Timeline
October 2026: CyberCoach NC is unveiled to the public.
Season Trajectory
CyberCoach NC extends a pattern in which university cybersecurity programs feed directly into public-sector services, here linking North Carolina State University's practicum course to the state's small-business support efforts. Its launch marks a move from classroom projects to a live statewide tool.
Small business owners in North Carolina can ask the chatbot cybersecurity questions without hiring specialized staff. The tool is free and available around the clock through the state website.
The takeaway
Small businesses without dedicated IT staff can use free public resources like CyberCoach NC to begin assessing their cybersecurity. Checking available state tools is a practical first step.
Further reading
Explore more cybersecurity coverage on how public tools are helping businesses protect themselves.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Government Technology.
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