Microsoft just made its biggest move yet in the fight against cyber threats—making security its number one priority across the entire company. We’ll cover the cause for this drastic shift and how these updates could impact you as we sit down and sync up with Rocket IT’s weekly technology update.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• Microsoft making security its top priority across the company.
• How the shift in cybersecurity began with a Secure Future Initiative.
• Why over 34,000 engineers are now dedicated to improving security.
• Why Microsoft is removing inactive accounts and tightening platform security.
• How these changes offer stronger protection for businesses and users.

Video Transcript

Hello, everyone! I’m Chris Swinson, technology insider here at Rocket IT, and welcome to Sync Up, your new home for trending technology news.

So, why is Microsoft pushing so hard on security? It all started after a report from the US Cyber Safety Review Board earlier this year, which pointed out significant gaps in Microsoft’s security culture. This led to a top-down mandate from Microsoft’s CEO to make security the top priority for every employee across the company.

This shift began back in November 2023 with the launch of Microsoft’s Secure Future Initiative, which is the company’s new project designed to overhaul how it handles cybersecurity both internally and for its customers. Once deployed, Microsoft assigned over 34,000 full-time engineers to focus on security—making it the largest cybersecurity effort in company history.

Fast forward six months, and we’re seeing the results of these efforts on the consumer side. Microsoft has rolled out numerous updates across its platforms, such as upgrades for its identity management system, Entra ID, as wells as faster key rotation for logins—making it harder for hackers to break in. It has also removed 5.75 million inactive user accounts, further reducing the number of possible ways hackers can try to get into their systems.

Internally, Microsoft has made sweeping changes as well. Security is now part of every employee’s performance review, meaning everyone in the company is being evaluated on how well they follow security practices.

But here’s why this is such a tall task. Microsoft is an enormous company with 100,000 engineers, designers, and project managers working on over 500,000 work items every day. That’s a massive amount of work and transforming the security processes for all of that is no small feat.

To help manage this overhaul, Microsoft has also launched a new Cybersecurity Governance Council and appointed 13 deputy Chief Information Security Officers. Many of which are veterans from industries like healthcare, gaming, and government, ensuring that security improvements are tailored to the needs of different sectors.

Microsoft has also created a Security Skilling Academy to train all employees on the importance of security in their daily tasks. This ongoing training ensures that everyone, regardless of their role, understands how to keep Microsoft’s systems and its customers safe from cyber threats.

So, what does this mean for you? For businesses and end-users, these changes mean enhanced protection. Whether you’re relying on Microsoft products for work, collaboration, or data storage, you can expect a stronger defense against cyber threats. But as Microsoft improves its defenses, it’s crucial for businesses to keep up as well.

For businesses, the takeaway is clear: security is no longer optional—it’s essential. If Microsoft, one of the largest tech companies in the world, is making these drastic changes, it signals how important it is for your business to have the right security measures in place.

As Microsoft makes strides in securing its platforms, it’s the perfect time to assess your own IT infrastructure. Is your business as protected as it could be? At Rocket IT, we specialize in helping businesses stay secure with a proactive, tailored IT strategy. If you’re looking for a trusted IT partner to ensure your business stays ahead of the cybersecurity curve, contact us using the link in this video’s description. And to stay up to date on trending technology news, hit that subscribe button and the bell to catch us on next week’s episode of Sync Up with Rocket IT.