At Microsoft, safety is our primary precedence, and we consider that cybersecurity is as a lot about folks as it’s about know-how. As we transfer into October and kick off Cybersecurity Consciousness Month, this time of 12 months actually makes me take into consideration how necessary on-line security is—not simply at work, however for my household and pals too. I usually discover myself sharing ideas with family members on keep protected on-line, as a result of constructing robust safety habits and maintaining them high of thoughts has change into a key a part of how I defend myself and people round me.
As a part of the Microsoft Safe Future Initiative (SFI), we’ve dedicated to embed safety into each layer of our know-how, tradition, and governance—inserting safety above all else. Since its launch in November 2023, SFI has mobilized the equal of greater than 34,000 engineers to proactively cut back threat and strengthen safety throughout Microsoft and the services and products we provide our clients. An incredible instance of that is mitigating superior multifactor authentication assaults, the place phishing-resistant multifactor authentication now protects 100% of manufacturing system accounts and 92% of worker productiveness accounts. As well as, we proceed to scale back the chance of compromise throughout new worker setup by imposing video-based verification, now at 99%.1
Enabling your security-first strategy
This 12 months, we’ve additionally developed new sources and instruments to help safety professionals in maintaining their organizations safe, notably as we enter this subsequent period of AI. Constructing upon our learnings with SFI, we’ve created SFI patterns and practices, which is a brand new library of actionable steerage designed to assist organizations implement safety at scale.
Along with finest practices for safety professionals, we proceed so as to add articles to our Be Cybersmart Package, which is a good start line for safety professionals that want to teach their organizations on be protected. The Be Cybersmart Package accommodates articles on AI security, machine safety, area impersonation, fraud, safe sign-in, and phishing. The equipment is simply one of many many sources out there on the Microsoft Cybersecurity Consciousness web site.
These in search of extra in-depth sources can entry expert-level studying paths, certifications, and technical documentation to proceed their cybersecurity schooling. And for college kids pursuing the sector of cybersecurity, the Microsoft Cybersecurity Scholarship Program and academic alternatives like Microsoft Elevate are right here to assist. The aim of all these applications is to assist foster a tradition that places safety and steady studying first for college kids and professionals alike.
Safety-first in motion: Franciscan Alliance
An incredible instance of a security-first tradition, particularly round schooling and consciousness coaching, is Franciscan Alliance, a non-profit Catholic well being care group based mostly in Indiana. Franciscan Alliance employs a proactive and interactive technique for cybersecurity consciousness and worker schooling.
“We consider cybersecurity schooling ought to be steady, participating, and empowering—as a result of knowledgeable workers are our strongest protection.”
—Jay Bhat, Chief Data Safety Officer (CISO), Franciscan Alliance
The group conducts month-to-month phishing simulations and quarterly assessments to reveal employees to lifelike eventualities constantly. Workers who don’t cross the quarterly assessments are supplied with further coaching somewhat than being penalized, which helps a tradition centered on studying and improvement. Coaching applications incorporate gamification parts to reinforce accessibility and retention. Moreover, workers obtain a month-to-month publication masking related safety matters that help protected practices each professionally and personally.
Throughout Cybersecurity Consciousness Month, weekly editions are distributed, together with well timed updates on rising threats, together with breaches and assaults. Franciscan Alliance additionally organizes risk briefings in partnership with exterior companions and makes use of sources resembling Microsoft’s Cybersecurity Consciousness supplies to tell its coaching initiatives.
Growing safety competencies within the age of AI
As organizations quickly embrace AI, making safety the primary precedence isn’t just a finest observe—it’s a necessity. AI methods are highly effective instruments that may remodel enterprise productiveness, however with out strong governance and safety measures, they will additionally introduce important dangers. To handle these challenges and empower security-first management, we invite C-level executives to register for Microsoft’s upcoming webinar “Belief in AI: Speed up Enterprise Progress with Confidence,” which is able to characteristic important discussions on construct belief in AI on your group.
Moreover, Microsoft’s Chief Product Officer of Accountable AI Sarah Chook will average the panel, “Cyber and AI, Strategic Threat and Aggressive Benefit,” on the NASDAQ Summit on October 21, 2025, on the New York Inventory Trade, the place trade consultants will present steerage on governance and safety for AI. On this session, consultants will talk about real-world use instances, regulatory developments, and the strategic implications of integrating AI into enterprise environments. Occasions resembling these are unbelievable alternatives for executives to deepen their understanding and lead with confidence within the age of AI.
Take advantage of out of Cybersecurity Consciousness Month
We hope that these sources offer you the training, coaching, and confidence to set you and your organizations up for achievement—each this month and past. Now could be the time to construct a tradition with a security-first mindset by making safety a part of your each day habits at work, dwelling, and in all places else. A security-first mindset means staying knowledgeable, proactively defending digital property, and inspiring others to do the identical. Safety is a group sport. By selling vigilance and shared duty, we are able to create a safer world for all.
To study extra about Microsoft Safety options, go to our web site. Bookmark the Safety weblog to maintain up with our skilled protection on safety issues. Additionally, observe us on LinkedIn (Microsoft Safety) and X (@MSFTSecurity) for the newest information and updates on cybersecurity.
