Governments across the globe are facing new and increasingly grievous threats to cybersecurity, with vulnerabilities poised to harm citizens and national economies. Microsoft has long been publicly committed to building a safe and trusted digital environment, working to address the unique security needs of governments worldwide.
Microsoft has taken this commitment a step further with the signing of its newest Government Security Program (GSP) agreement with the NATO Communications and Information (NCI) Agency.
A program designed by Microsoft to help governments evaluate and protect existing systems, and create, deploy, and maintain more secure infrastructure, the GSP fosters partnership and trust. It is open to government agencies regardless of a commercial contract with Microsoft, and is an important part of what we consider to be our duty as global citizens.
Microsoft currently has GSP agreements with over 40 agencies from more than 25 governments worldwide. In each of these cases, we have found that supporting an open dialogue and collaborative environment is the most effective way to increase transparency, reliability and integrity in our collective desire for improving cybersecurity.
GSP participants use the program’s capabilities to meet information assurance needs. For example, participants can gain deeper understanding of Microsoft products and services for evaluation and certification. The program can also help participants with compatibility and deployment planning, particularly for Windows 10 or cloud migration scenarios. Additionally, many GSP participants are interested in the cybersecurity threat and vulnerability services that we provide through the GSP, which help protect their citizens, economies and infrastructure.
This signing is the latest step in our 12-year cybersecurity relationship with NATO, and is a first for the parties using the GSP’s newly-expanded capabilities. Through this agreement, the NCI Agency will gain access to technical information and documentation about Microsoft products and services, as well as information about internet safety, threat intelligence, online training tools, and guidance to help mitigate the effects of cyberattacks across the region.
“NATO is facing new and increasingly dangerous threats to cybersecurity across the world and these threats could affect national economies and citizens. To avoid it, NCI Agency strongly believes in rapid and early information sharing on threats and vulnerabilities with leader companies worldwide, such as Microsoft. Trust is the key to success,” said Koen Gijsbers, NCI Agency General Manager.
The agreement is a natural extension of the commitment we made to enhance the transparency of our software code and continue building trust with governments around the world. Opening the Transparency Center in Brussels earlier this year provided an important cornerstone element of our long-standing GSP approach.
An information exchange between trusted organizations – both public and private – is essential to detecting and disrupting cybersecurity threats. As threats continue to evolve, Microsoft’s work with the NCI Agency and other GSP agencies around the globe will allow us to use our resources and tools so that we can create and promote more secure computing infrastructures and safer digital environments around the world.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.