Microsoft India cybersecurity centre empowers 126 organisations

Microsoft India on Tuesday said its "Cybersecurity Engagement Centre" in New Delhi has reached out to 126 organisations in a year, empowering them with information and techniques to secure critical information infrastructure and helping them reduce malware and digital risk in the country.

The centre, set up in New Delhi a year ago, is part of a global network of eight such centres.

It brings together Microsoft capabilities to foster deeper cybersecurity collaborations with public and private sector organisations and build a trusted and secure computing environment, a critical enabler for India's digital transformation. Anant Maheshwari, President-Microsoft India, said,

"Cybersecurity is vital for Digital India. A data driven economy can flourish only when governments, businesses and individuals leverage the power of cloud computing with the confidence that their data is secure."

With the aim to make cyberspace safer, Microsoft also rolled out a nationwide campaign to increase awareness on cybersecurity and cyber hygiene, ahead of the Global Conference of Cyber Space (GCCS2017) here this week.

The tech giant said it invests more than a billion dollars a year in security research, innovation, and development.

Under the Microsoft Intelligent Security programme, the tech giant has partnered several organisations across sectors to set up a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Advisory Board.

The objective of the board is to foster a deep and continuous engagement with the CISO community and share information and knowledge about the latest developments in cybersecurity as well as best techniques and practices.

Through its three-pronged approach of a comprehensive platform, unique intelligence and partnerships, Microsoft is also driving educational sessions and coaching sessions with enterprises across the country.

The new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which comes into force in May 2018, significantly raises the bar for privacy.

To help simplify the path to compliance, Microsoft is organising a series of worldwide webinars as well as physical workshops in select Indian cities under the aegis of its GDPR Academy for its customers.

Microsoft is also working with partner schools to integrate lessons on cyber-hygiene and cyber safety into their curriculum, starting with the 25 schools under the Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATL) initiative, which is part of Niti Aayog's flagship programme Atal Innovation Mission (AIM).