Microsoft launches first joint Transparency Center and Cybersecurity Center in the world

Access to this center is open to government agencies who participate in the Government Security Program (GSP) to aid against threats on cybersecurity for both public and private sectors

Early this month, Microsoft launched its first combined Transparency Center and Cybersecurity Center in Singapore, serving the Asia-Pacific region.

The Microsoft Transparency Center is a cornerstone of Microsoft’s long-standing Government Security Program (GSP), which offers participating government agencies the opportunity to review the source code of Microsoft products, access information on cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities, and benefit from the expertise and insight of Microsoft security professionals. Nearly 40 countries and international organizations currently participate in the Microsoft GSP program with 10 participants from Asia.

The Singapore Transparency Center is a convenient location for governments in the Asia-Pacific region and will be part of a global network that covers four regions, joining existing facilities in Redmond, Washington, for North America, and Brussels, Belgium, for Europe. In addition, more details of other new Microsoft Transparency Centers will be shared later in 2016, including the recently announced Transparency Center in Beijing, China.

Toni Townes-Whitley, corporate vice-president, Worldwide Public Sector, Microsoft Corporation, said, “Public-private partnerships are key to strengthening national cybersecurity. The opening of the Microsoft regional Transparency Center in Singapore to serve the wider Asia-Pacific region, advances our worldwide commitment to drive transparency, security and trust in digital technologies in the mobile-first and cloud-first world. It is part of the Microsoft Government Security Program, where we support, collaborate and enable governments to protect citizens, public services and national infrastructure from cybercrime threats and to meet their rigorous cybersecurity requirements by building strong capabilities to protect, detect and respond.”

The Microsoft Cybersecurity Center in Singapore, co-located with the Transparency Center, will enable enterprises and organizations to tap into a pool of resources such as security specialists and technologies at Microsoft. With the rise in cybercriminal activities and the rapidly changing cybersecurity landscape, the Cybersecurity Center will bring forth innovations and advancements by way of security platform, threat intelligence analytics, advanced threat protection, machine learning capabilities, security services and cloud security in a comprehensive way.

Keshav Dhakad, regional director and assistant general counsel, Digital Crimes Unit (DCU), Microsoft Asia, said, “In the face of rising cyberattack sophistication, cybersecurity is mission-critical among C-suites and boardrooms. As governments and enterprises embrace digital transformation and strive for resilience, a holistic and agile security platform is ever more critical. This is where Microsoft’s unique threat intelligence innovations and trusted cloud ecosystem offer them powerful protection against security threats. Through strong public-private partnerships, we also empower them to investigate, disrupt and prosecute global cybercriminal networks.”

The Transparency Center and Cybersecurity Center will expand Microsoft’s public-private- partnerships in the Asia-Pacific region, while enabling and empowering enterprises to manage modern security threats effectively. This will build on the momentum in the last few years, where the Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit (DCU) has fostered various partnerships with public sector and enforcement agencies in the region. This includes strategic collaboration with Interpol in global malware botnet disruption operations and a PhotoDNA licensing collaboration to support Interpol’s efforts in preventing child sexual exploitation online, as well as cyber threat intelligence sharing partnerships with several Internet Service Providers in the region and government Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs).

To support a comprehensive, cross-company and cross-industry approach to cybersecurity, Microsoft invests more than a billion dollars a year in security research, innovation and development. This includes a recently announced global Cyber Defense Operations Center (C-DOC), a state-of-the-art 24/7 facility that brings together security response experts from across the company to help protect, detect and respond to threats in real-time, securing Microsoft’s internal resources, cloud infrastructure, customer online services, devices and products. Microsoft has also recently established an Enterprise Cybersecurity Group (ECG) – a dedicated team of worldwide security experts who will deliver security solutions, expertise and services that empower organizations to modernize their IT platforms, securely move to the cloud and keep data safe.

How does this impact the Philippines?

Cybercrimes and threats such as malware, ransomware, clickfraud, tech support fraud for the elderly and even abusive online activity targeting children currently pervade in the country. In order to maximize the presence of the Transparency Center and Cybersecurity Center, Microsoft is currently working with the Philippine government so that the Philippines can be part of the GSP. The GSP program will allow access to the source code of Microsoft products and access important security information in a secure environment to get a general overview of the threat landscape and then decide on an action plan to move forward.

Even Philippine government agencies are vulnerable to cybersecurity threats. The proximity of the center and its presence in the region gives the speed to react in the fast pace of technology.

“We aim to work closely with the national government to address these complex security needs through the GSP which will provide our government with access to Microsoft’s Transparency and Cybersecurity Center,” said Raul Cortez, Director for Corporate, External, and Legal Affairs in Microsoft Philippines.

“It is our common goal to provide a safe computing environment for everyone, be it in the government, the banking industry, private companies and all consumers”, he added.

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