Latest news with #SecureFutureInitiative
Time of India
6 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Microsoft transfers a top cybersecurity exec: As we continue to ..., says internal memo
Image credit: LinkedIn Microsoft has transferred its chief information security officer, Igor Tsyganskiy , out of the company's security organisation , a report claims. This move reportedly suggests the increasing importance of artificial intelligence (AI) at the software giant. Tsyganskiy, whose previous role as CISO involved securing Microsoft's own business and establishing cybersecurity standards company-wide, will now report to Executive VP Scott Guthrie . Guthrie leads Microsoft's Cloud + AI group that manages key operations, including Microsoft's Azure cloud and teams that assist OpenAI and other AI companies in developing and running AI models and chatbots in the cloud. In a recent internal memo (seen by Business Insider), Guthrie wrote: 'As we continue to navigate increasingly complex global threats, the CISO team plays a critical role in safeguarding Microsoft, the Microsoft Cloud, and our customers. They are our first line of defence, and drive our services, products, platforms, and operations to be secure by design and secure by default.' Previously, Tsyganskiy reported to Charlie Bell, the head of Microsoft's Security group, who is responsible for the company's security and compliance efforts, according to a memo seen by Business Insider. Tsyganskiy started his role of Microsoft's CISO in January 2024. At the time, Bell praised him in an internal memo (viewed by BI), calling him a 'technologist and dynamic leader with a storied career in high-scale/high-security, demanding environments.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trading CFD dengan Teknologi dan Kecepatan Lebih Baik IC Markets Mendaftar Undo What Microsoft said about transferring top cybersecurity executive In a statement to the publication, Microsoft spokesperson Frank Shaw said the change brings Tsyganskiy's organisation closer to the systems it is responsible for safeguarding. "The CISO organisation is focused on protecting Microsoft and our customers and being customer zero for our security products. Moving the team to Cloud + AI puts them closer to the engineering systems they secure, deepens integration with platform development, and strengthens our ability to see and stop emerging threats,' Shaw added Shaw also noted that Tsyganskiy's team will maintain close collaboration with Microsoft Security "to ensure our solutions reflect real-world enterprise needs." This move marks another shift in Microsoft's evolving security strategy following several notable challenges in recent years. In 2022, the company brought in Bell from Amazon to lead a new cybersecurity organisation, but issues have persisted. Last year, after the Department of Homeland Security criticised Microsoft for "a cascade of security failures" that allowed Chinese hackers to access customer emails, the company expanded its Secure Future Initiative, making security a company-wide priority and a factor in employee performance reviews. Google Search AI Mode launched in India: Does it really make your search smarter? AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Business Insider
a day ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Microsoft transfers a top cybersecurity executive out of the company's security group, internal memo shows
Microsoft transferred its chief information security officer out of the company's security organization, in a move that hints at the growing importance of artificial intelligence at the software giant. As CISO, Igor Tsyganskiy, is responsible for securing Microsoft's own business, and setting cybersecurity standards across the company. He will now report to EVP Scott Guthrie, who runs Microsoft's Cloud + AI group. This is the organization that runs important business like Microsoft's Azure cloud and the teams that help OpenAI and other AI companies develop and run giant AI models and chatbots in the cloud. "As we continue to navigate increasingly complex global threats, the CISO team plays a critical role in safeguarding Microsoft, the Microsoft Cloud, and our customers," Guthrie wrote in the recent memo. "They are our first line of defense, and drive our services, products, platforms, and operations to be secure by design and secure by default." Tsyganskiy previously reported to the head of the Security group, Charlie Bell, who oversees all of Microsoft's security and compliance, according to a memo viewed by Business Insider. This is an illustration of how important AI is becoming to Microsoft. Spokesman Frank Shaw said the move gets Tsyganskiy's organization closer to the systems it helps protect. "The CISO organization is focused on protecting Microsoft and our customers and being customer zero for our security products," Shaw said. "Moving the team to Cloud + AI puts them closer to the engineering systems they secure, deepens integration with platform development, and strengthens our ability to see and stop emerging threats." Tsyganskiy's team will continue working closely with Microsoft Security "to ensure our solutions reflect real-world enterprise needs," Shaw added. The move is also the latest change in Microsoft's approach to security after some high-profile challenges in recent years. Microsoft recruited Bell from Amazon to run a new cybersecurity organization in 2022, but the company has still had struggles. The Department of Homeland Security last year condemned Microsoft for what it called "a cascade of security failures" that allowed Chinese hackers to access emails from thousands of customers. Microsoft expanded its Secure Future Initiative last year, making security the top priority for every employee, including adding making security a metric on which employees are evaluated during performance reviews. Tsyganskiy became Microsoft's CISO in January 2024. Bell praised him in an internal memo viewed by BI at the time, saying he was a "technologist and dynamic leader with a storied career in high-scale/high-security, demanding environments."
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella shares a terrifying reality
Very few executives see the world like Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. He was actually a somewhat surprising pick when he was selected to replace Steve Ballmer. But since he got the job in 2014, he has made very few mistakes in a climate that has been rapidly changing. Related: Amazon's Alexa AI upgrade is even worse than expected Nadella quickly shifted the company's focus to the cloud, and he has embraced artificial intelligence without making it Microsoft's sole priority. Microsoft is one of the rare companies that has been able to reinvent itself. This didn't actually seem that likely during the Windows 8 debacle. At that time, it seemed like the company had given away its operating system advantage to Google's Android, while making a poor bet in buying Nokia for its phone business. Most companies that stumble as badly as Microsoft never regain their footing. Take IBM, for example - the company still exists, but it's now a shell of what it once was. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter You can argue that Nadella's Microsoft may exceed the heights of the Ballmer and Gates era. That's a stunning accomplishment, given how high the company had climbed and how quickly it fell. So when Nadella tells you what his biggest priority is, every company and individual should listen. Sometimes a CEO tells you what matters without spelling things out fully. Nadella's recent comments suggest that he understands how dark and dangerous the digital world has become. "Now on to security. Security is our top priority, and we have made significant progress against the engineering objectives we outlined 1.5 years ago as part of our Secure Future Initiative. We are now applying these learnings to deliver new innovation across our platform," he said. You don't invest in security if you think the world is safe. Nadella isn't openly talking about the global bad actors trying to hack their way into every system imaginable, but his words suggest a deep understanding of the threats. "Last month, along with our partners, we introduced Security Copilot agents to help defenders autonomously handle high-volume security and IT tasks informed by 84 trillion daily threat signals. We also added new capabilities to Defender, Entra, and Purview to help organizations secure and govern their AI deployments," he added. More Tech Stocks: Amazon tries to make AI great again (or maybe for the first time)Veteran portfolio manager raises eyebrows with latest Meta Platforms moveGoogle plans major AI shift after Meta's surprising $14 billion move This focus has also paid off for Microsoft. "All up, we now have 1.4 million security customers, over $900,000, including EY Global, Manpower Group, TriNet, Regions Bank have four or more workloads, up 21% year-over-year. And in identity, Entra now has more than 900 million monthly active users," he shared. While growing its business-to-business model, Microsoft has grown its direct-to-consumer focus under Nadella. That includes its LinkedIn platform. "Over 1 billion professionals use LinkedIn to connect, learn, hire and sell, and our membership continues to grow at double-digits year-over-year. Time spent watching videos on the platform was up 36%, and comments were up 32% year-over-year. We're also seeing more members use AI to gain new skills and find jobs," he shared. Nadella is also bullish over the company's search, media, and advertising products. "More broadly, when it comes to advertising, we are transforming how people search, browse, discover content, and use AI as a personal assistant. With Copilot Search in Bing, we are reimagining search results with overview pages curated by AI, and embedded conversational capabilities. With Copilot Vision in Edge, Copilot sees what you see and gives you real-time responses while you browse," he explained. Related: Cathie Wood buys $31.8 million of surging AI stock The CEO sees Microsoft being able to offer a deeper level of personalization. "With Copilot Discover, we are personalizing MSN experience based on user interactions and preferences. And with our updated Copilot app, we are focused on building daily engagement and successful sessions across a range of modalities, whether it is conversing, searching, shopping, or travel planning," he added. The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
