Microsoft has unveiled its second update on the Secure Future Initiative (SFI), which is known as the most extensive cybersecurity engineering effort in the company’s background.
Under the leadership of Charlie Bell, the Executive Vice President of Microsoft Security, the project has organized the equivalent of 34,000 engineers who worked full-time over an 11-month period to enhance security for Microsoft, its clients, and the wider sector.
Commenced to tackle vital cybersecurity dangers, SFI promotes a culture of placing security first throughout Microsoft’s workforce. Each worker now has a Security Core Priority linked to their performance appraisals, with 99% having finished vital Security Foundations and Trust Code education.
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More than 50,000 personnel have taken part in the Microsoft Security Academy to improve their knowledge in cybersecurity. Bell emphasized, “This transition is focused on empowerment,” highlighting the aim of equipping all employees to safeguard clients.
Advancements in Product Security
Microsoft’s engineering units have launched notable innovations that conform to the “Secure by Design, Default, and in Operations” principles.
One highlight is the Secure by Design UX Toolkit, trialed by 20 product groups, rolled out to 22,000 staff members, and made public. This toolkit integrates best security practices into product expansion, aiding groups in recognizing vulnerabilities and prioritizing resolutions.
Furthermore, 11 fresh security capabilities have been integrated into Azure, Microsoft 365, Windows, and Microsoft Security products to enhance default protections.
In the field of AI development, Microsoft has introduced specialized safety and security reviews under its Artificial Generative Intelligence Safety and Security Organization.
Secure operational methodologies, outlined in the Responsible AI Transparency Report, are now considered standard across AI systems. These activities have also stopped $4 billion worth of fraudulent attacks through novel policies and detection models.
Enhancing Defenses Against Cyberattacks
The document draws attention to significant improvements in defending identities, networks, and systems. In the aftermath of the 2023 Storm-0558 breach, Microsoft relocated Entra ID and Microsoft Account (MSA) token signing keys to hardware-based security modules (HSMs) and Azure confidential VMs, implementing automatic rotation and additional security measures.
Over 90% of identity tokens for Microsoft applications now utilize a robust identity Software Development Kit, while 92% of employee accounts utilize phishing-resistant multifactor authentication.
Microsoft has lowered risks of lateral movements by transferring 88% of resources to Azure Resource Manager, eliminating 6.3 million inactive tenants, and confining authentication for 4.4 million managed identities to particular network locations.
Network security has been enhanced with an inventory of 99% of assets and the integration of new attributes like Network Security Perimeter and DNS Security Extensions.
Microsoft’s capability to identify and respond to cyber threats has expanded, with the addition of over 200 novel detections for top tactics, techniques, and procedures, set to be merged into Microsoft Defender.
The firm currently tracks 97% of production infrastructure assets centrally and enforces a two-year retention policy for security logs. Through its Zero Day Quest, Microsoft proactively identified 180 vulnerabilities in cloud and AI systems, broadening its mitigation program to cover more offerings and environments.
To govern risk enterprise-wide, Microsoft has appointed a Deputy Chief Information Security Officer for Business Applications and consolidated security supervision for Microsoft 365 and other sectors.
All 14 Deputy CISOs have concluded a risk assessment, creating a unified summary of security priorities. This control framework guarantees that security is ingrained throughout the corporation.
Tangible Advances Across All Goals
Out of the 28 goals of SFI, five are approaching fulfillment, and significant headway has been made on 11 goals. The project has fortified Microsoft’s frameworks, boosted threat detection, and reinforced client safeguards. Bell affirmed, “Our platforms and services are more secure than ever,” emphasizing the influence of SFI on both Microsoft and its clients.
Microsoft is also collaborating with the security research community and distributing tools like the Secure by Design UX Toolkit to elevate industry norms. The complete SFI progress report, now accessible, details these enhancements and Microsoft’s constant dedication to cybersecurity.