Microsoft launches Korea Cybersecurity Center advancing fight against cyberthreats

Keshav Dhakad, regional director, Digital Crimes Unit (DCU), Microsoft Asia, presenting at the opening ceremony of Microsoft Korea’s Cybersecurity Center.

SEOUL, KOREA – 4 March 2016 – Microsoft Korea today launched its new Cybersecurity Center (CSC) in Korea, further raising Microsoft’s investment in the region in the fight against cyberthreats. It will drive greater public-private partnerships to fight cybercrime, strengthen the cooperation with local businesses, governmental and academic organizations on cybersecurity, and increase Microsoft’s contribution towards securing Korean computer and Internet users.

The launch ceremony was officiated by KISA President Kee Seung Baik and Yang Hee Choi, Minister of Ministry of Science, ICT, and Future Planning, and was hosted by Cesar Cernuda, President, Microsoft Asia Pacific, and Alfred Koh, CEO, Microsoft Korea.

Yang Hee Choi, Minister for Science, ICT, and Future Planning said, “As IT technology continues to advance, various cyber threats are increasing as well. A close cooperation between the nation, private companies, and institutions will play a crucial role towards strengthening cyber security. In that regard, we truly welcome Microsoft Korea’s Cyber Security Center (CSC) opened here in Seoul. Through cooperation with the Microsoft Korea CSC, we will work hardest in creating safer IT & internet environment in Korea and increase secure IT practices and usage of trusted cloud technologies.”

The CSC will serve as one of seven Cybercrime Satellite Centers globally and will be the fifth in Asia. The satellite centers are an extension of the Microsoft Cybercrime Center in Redmond, USA, the headquarters of Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit (DCU). The seven are located in Washington DC, Berlin, Beijing, Singapore, Tokyo and India.

With Korea among the leading countries in IT usage and innovation globally, more cybercriminals are exploiting the speed, convenience and anonymity of the Internet to commit a diverse range of cybercrimes.

Keshav Dhakad, regional director, Digital Crimes Unit (DCU), Microsoft Asia, said, “Rising sophistication in cybercriminal activities is causing devastating disruption, compromising identity, private information, passwords, money, confidential & sensitive business and financial information, including national security related attacks. Digital Crimes Unit fights and disrupts cybercriminals at a global scale and the Microsoft Korea Cybersecurity Center in Seoul further extends our international reach against cybercrime, by driving stronger public-private partnerships.”

The CSC is part of Microsoft’s wider commitment towards cybersecurity, which invests more than $900 million in cybersecurity innovation and acquisitions every year. It will serve as a hub for sharing and collaboration on security technology and information with local private enterprises and research centers. It will provide cost-free provision of PhotoDNA technology to law enforcement and enterprises to track and eliminate child online pornography, an apprenticeship program for college students majoring in the security field and a program for Korean cybersecurity related start-ups and SMBs providing the latest security technology trends, intelligence, and information.