Microsoft has announced new intelligent security tools and technologies to help enterprises more easily protect their data and networks from today's major threats, as well as address emerging IoT and edge device threats. These new solutions arise from Microsoft's established approach to delivering innovations that customers and partners can leverage to protect a broad ecosystem from the cloud to the edge from cyberattacks.
"As demonstrated by the devastating cyberattacks last year, security threats are constantly evolving and becoming increasingly burdensomei ", said Brad Smith, president of Microsoft. "Technological innovations must accelerate to anticipate security threats. Advances announced today offer major security improvements, not only for cloud technology, but also for the billions of new devices operating at the edge of the world's computing networks".
Protect a new generation of connected devices: the launch of Azure Sphere
Microsoft harnesses the potential of the intelligent cloud to counter emerging threats targeting a new category of connected devices, based on a small chip called a microcontroller or MCU, or microcontroller unit. With approximately 9 billion new devices each year, MCU-based devices already represent the largest computing industry. They are found everywhere, from toys to household appliances to industrial equipment, and are starting to be targeted by cyber criminals. To secure this new generation of connected devices, Microsoft introduces Azure Sphere, the industry's first holistic platform, designed to create highly secure connected MCU devices that operate on the intelligent edge. It's a whole new class of MCUs with more than five times the power of traditional MCUs, an operating system designed specifically for IoT security, and a turnkey cloud security service that protects every Azure Sphere device. With Azure Sphere, Microsoft pushes the boundaries of the intelligent edge to foster and protect a whole new category of devices.
"Since our homes are increasingly connected, device security is a priority for us. In this way we can continue to focus on offering an extraordinary customer experience. The approach of Microsoft through Azure Sphere is unique, as it addresses security in a holistic way, at every level, "said Brian Jones, director of Product Strategy and Marketing at Sub-Zero Group Inc.
Microsoft 365 intelligent security solutions: security at your fingertips
In a context in which security threats become more complex, companies are increasingly recognizing that the Cloud offers a valid response in terms of intelligence and protection tools to anticipate threats. Microsoft has presented several new intelligent security features for its Microsoft 365 commercial cloud offering, designed to help IT professionals and cybersecurity experts simplify security management for their businesses:
Advanced tools that facilitate threat prevention before they become concrete
To help teams be prepared for and cope with threats, Microsoft has released Microsoft Secure Score and Attack Simulator. With Secure Score for companies, it will be easier to determine which controls to activate to protect users, data and devices through a quick assessment of readiness to provide timely responses and the assignment of a benchmark in terms of global security. It will also allow companies to compare their results with realities with similar profiles, thanks to integrated machine learning. Attack Simulator, part of Office 365 Threat Intelligence, allows security teams to launch attack simulations - such as fake ransomware and phishing campaigns - to verify employee reactions to attacks and optimize configurations accordingly.
Automatic detection and mitigation of threats to lighten up security teams
With the latest update of Windows 10, currently in preview, Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) works across other Microsoft 365 elements to embed security and threat mitigation in both Office 365 and Windows and Azure. Also in preview and, following, in the next update of Windows 10, new automatic investigation and mitigation capabilities are available for Windows Defender ATP, which exploit artificial intelligence and machine learning to quickly detect and react to threats on endpoints in the lap a few seconds and on a large scale.
Conditional Access offers a real-time assessment of risks to help ensure that access to sensitive data is properly controlled, without limiting user productivity. Now, in preview, Microsoft 365 adds to the Conditional Access the level of risk set by Windows Defender ATP to prevent compromised devices from accessing sensitive corporate data.
Stronger partnerships to offer customers more integrated solutions
Intelligence data used to detect and react quickly to threats is improved by adding more relevant signals. The effectiveness of machine learning tools is directly proportional to the quality of the data they receive. Microsoft security products receive information from the trillions of different signals that power the Microsoft Intelligent Security Graph. Microsoft has announced the preview of a new security API, to connect products equipped with Microsoft Intelligent Security Graph with the intelligence derived from solutions made by customers and technology partners, so as to greatly enhance the reliability of intelligence.
Most security tools report an attack from a single limited perspective, offering insight into one element of a potentially more complex threat. By linking individual tools to the Intelligent Security Graph, security teams receive new perspectives and more meaningful data models to accelerate threat analysis and mitigation. The new API is in preliminary testing with a select group of cybersecurity industry leaders working with Microsoft to configure its development. The group, which includes Anomali, Palo Alto Networks and PwC, has joined Microsoft to share the first exploratory experiences with this API and how it could improve each company's ability to protect its customers.
Microsoft also unveiled the new Microsoft Intelligent Security Association for Partners Offering Security Technologies to leverage the Intelligent Security Graph and Microsoft security products, while also contributing to their development. Association members will be able to create new integrated solutions for their customers that offer greater protection and more quickly detect attacks. Palo Alto Networks and Anomali join other partners already present as founding members of the new association.
Microsoft supports client companies in their digital transformation path, helping them to keep their assets secure from the cloud to the edge.
