Microsoft has pledged $20 billion over the next five years to strengthen its security tools and software supply chains. The company will invest $150 million to help federal, state, and local government agencies upgrade their security solutions. The Windows giant will also expand its cybersecurity training partnerships throughout the country. Google is committing $10 billion over the next five years to beef up its cybersecurity efforts. The company will expand its zero-trust programs, which it claims provide the highest level of security for organizations. It will further enhance open-source security and secure the software supply chain. Since the vast majority of modern software development makes use of open-source software, security is critical. Google will also provide training to 100,000 Americans in fields like IT Support and Data Analytics through its Google Career Certificate program. The program teaches in-demand skills such as data privacy and security “that can lead to secure high-paying, high-growth jobs.” Apple has announced measures to strengthen security throughout the technology supply chain. Among other things, the company plans to encourage the adoption of multi-factor authentication among suppliers. IBM, meanwhile, is committing to training 150,000 people in cybersecurity skills over the next three years.
US government and private sector companies join hands to bolster cybersecurity
Wednesday’s meeting between president Biden and private sector leaders comes on the heels of recent threats like the SolarWinds attack and the Colonial Pipeline attack. The Biden administration believes both government agencies and private sector companies need to work together on this problem. “The reality is, most of our critical infrastructure is owned and operated by the private sector, and the federal government can’t meet this challenge alone,” said president Joe Biden. Along with the CEOs of the aforementioned five tech biggies, the meeting was also attended by several small companies. Executives from other industries like energy and education were also present. These include cyber insurance providers Coalition and Resilience, non-profits code.org and Girls Who Code, Whatcom Community College, and the University of Texas System. They have all announced measures to strengthen the nation’s cybersecurity.
