US tech giant Microsoft has set up a cyber security engagement centre (CSEC) in the Delhi-NCR region that will help it work with partners in identifying and responding to cyber threats in the country. The India centre, which is the seventh such facility for the company globally, will function as a satellite to Microsoft’s Redmond Digital Crimes Unit (DCU).

• While Microsoft declined to comment on investment details, it said the company invests about $1 billion annually in the area of security research, innovation and development.
• The CSEC’s mission is to help build a trusted and secure computing environment, a critical enabler for India’s digital transformation. It will works towards fostering deeper cybersecurity collaborations with public and private sector organisations for this,” Microsoft India Chairman Bhaskar Pramanik said.
• The company ran a year-long pilot out of its Gurgaon office, under which its team met with over 100 organisations in the country.
• Based on those conversations, the team observed three common IT environment issues (which are also the highest cybersecurity risks) plaguing organisations in India — unmanaged/unregulated IT assets usage, poor knowledge of cyber hygiene and inability to timely monitor, detect, and remove cyber threats.
• The other cybersecurity centres operated by Microsoft are located in Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, Berlin and Washington DC.
• The centre is also expected to help the company collaborate with government organisations to quickly and reactively address cyber threat and cyberattacks.