In a notable stride towards beefing up cybersecurity for local enterprises, the City of San Diego has launched a nifty tool that vows to erect digital defenses for businesses strapped for resources. The "My eCISO" platform, an addition to the San Diego Regional Cyber Lab's arsenal, harnesses artificial intelligence to guide public and private organizations in crafting their cyber protection strategies. The web-based resource is particularly aimed at small businesses that are often the most vulnerable in the face of cyber threats due to limitations in manpower and technical know-how.

Offering a fine point of entry for those at sea about establishing a cybersecurity program, the AI-driven chatbot of My eCISO stands as a Chief Information Security Officer by proxy. "Organizations and small businesses with limited resources need all the help they can get to protect themselves in this ever-evolving digital landscape," remarked Jonathan Behnke, Chief Information Officer for the Department of IT, as cited by the City of San Diego. Behnke's comments underscore the uphill battle smaller organizations face to stay afloat amid technological changes.

A partnership between the City of San Diego, California Polytechnic State University, and Amazon Web Services has been instrumental in birthing the My eCISO tool. Users commence the interaction with a virtual chat, wherein the AI asks questions and digests responses to assess the security landscape of the entity it is aiding. Based on this interaction, it generates a "report card," aligning with the benchmarks set by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), to quantify the security robustness of an organization and prescribe upgrades where necessary.

Privacy worries are quelled by design choices, ensuring that only the user who teed up their data can enter and inspect it. Further cultivating a sense of trust, the system is designed to auto-delete any conversational records after 30 days, or users can take the reins and scrub their data anytime before this period elapses. According to the City of San Diego, these features were intentionally integrated into My eCISO, turning it into a paragon of user-centric security.

The San Diego Regional Cyber Lab, within which My eCISO operates, continues to be a linchpin for regional cybersecurity, offering specialized training and resources for grappling with the menace of cyber threats. The lab's objective remains to ramp up cybersecurity awareness through collaborative access to cutting-edge technology, intelligence gathering, and training assets, serving as a bulwark for the local economy against cyber malice that shows no signs of abating.