Reflecting on a big month: Bringing AI to Life and Celebrating Women in Security

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Heart of Security! I’m thrilled to have you here for the second edition. Thank you for joining me to hear the latest advancements in the security industry and discuss the people and things that inspire me in the security world! ??

The Impact of AI on Security

Generative AI is a superpower for security and I believe security is one of the most important and serious use cases for AI right now. Generative AI has the potential to change the asymmetry of cyber warfare. It is giving defenders the upper hand and promises to play a key role in helping the industry close the huge skills and talent gap we have in security, helping deliver security for all and by all!

As such, I’m super excited to get Microsoft Copilot for Security into the hands of our customers. If you haven’t heard of Copilot for Security yet, it’s the industry’s first generative-AI solution that uses large-scale data and threat intelligence coupled with security-specific large language models to deliver tailored insights and guide next steps, allowing cybersecurity and IT professionals to catch what others miss, move faster, and to defend at machine speed and scale.

March was a big month for our team as we celebrated our annual Microsoft Secure digital event on March 13th, and announced that Microsoft Copilot for Security will be generally available April 1 ! Copilot for Security is for all defenders, whether you are early in career or experienced! We are seeing wonderful results which show defenders are getting faster, more productive and more accurate using Copilot for Security. And importantly, it is going to reduce the barrier for entry for becoming a cyber security professional.

At the event, Brandon Dixon , Sherrod DeGrippo and Ram Shankar Siva Kumar helped demonstrate the true impact of AI on the security landscape and shared insights into how Copilot can measurably improve how defenders work. The next 18 months of AI innovation are going to determine the next 18 years in cybersecurity, and we are lucky enough to live in a time where AI is changing how defenders can keep their organizations safe and secure. I had a wonderful time taking part in the meaningful conversations that took place at both events ??.?

Women’s History Month Reflections

As a woman in security, Women’s History Month is very important to me as a vehicle to discuss the gender gap in cybersecurity. While we are making progress, a Microsoft Security commissioned study from 2022 found that just 44 percent of women who responded said they feel adequately represented in the industry. It’s clear there is still much work to be done to not only bring more women into the field, but to make it an enriching environment where they feel welcome and celebrated.

Microsoft has partnered with many organizations similarly committed to building a more diverse cybersecurity workforce, through initiatives such as young adult training programs like?GirlSecurity ,?TechTogether , and?IGNITE Worldwide ’s Inspiring Girls Now in Technology Evolution. We also support organizations providing training to women interested in switching careers or upskilling their cybersecurity knowledge through programs like?WiCyS ?and?Executive Women’s Forum (EWF) . Microsoft also partners with global education programs, including?CyberShikshaa ?in India and?WOMCY ?in Latin America, to empower women and minorities in cybersecurity.

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I believe one way we can make women feel more welcome in cyber security is by giving them an opportunity to see and hear from other women working and thriving in the space. As such, I’d like to introduce you to an amazing leader in our security business, Joy Chik . I’m extremely optimistic about the future of women in security because of leaders and friends, like Joy, whose talent and dedication to the mission of security for all is inspiring.

Joy Chik is Microsoft’s President of Identity & Network Access. In addition to her work at Microsoft, Joy is on the Board of Trustees for the Anita Borg Institute , whose mission is to empower women in tech, where she serves as the co-chair of their strategy committee.

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Joy says that, when it comes to her work in Identity and Network Access, “it’s really at the center of everything we do for our customers at Microsoft,” as that’s the gateway to Microsoft’s cloud services across Azure, M365, Dynamics, and across consumer platforms, such as Xbox. With digital transformation and everything moving to the cloud, her mission revolves around securing access “for anyone to anything from anywhere”—while making sure that access is secure.

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She shares that, especially as the industry continues to evolve, it’s important to “be comfortable with the uncomfortable” and embody Microsoft’s growth mindset.

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Joy is also a huge supporter of women and girls in technology. I asked her if she had any advice for those navigating careers in security today. She replied, “When I joined Microsoft, I felt I needed to blend in. I didn’t want to stand out or look different. And I made the mistake of distancing myself from the women in our community because I didn’t want anyone to think my success was just because I am a woman, rather than because I was an awesome engineer. It was exhausting trying to blend in instead of being myself. My advice is that we need to bring our unique selves to our work in order to succeed and in order to help those around us succeed. If we can be ourselves, and feel we belong, we can be more creative and do our best work.”

Her advice to women trying to break into the security industry?

?·?????? I am so thrilled about the reception to our Copilot for Security announcement! Read more about our Secure news in Bloomberg , Reuters , the Wall Street Journal , CNBC , Quartz , and TechRadar .

·?????? Bret Arsenault detailed our progress on?Microsoft's Secure Future Initiative (SFI) , first announced in November 2023. The blog did a great job reiterating the strategic, anticipatory mission of?SFI?in advancing Microsoft's built-in security to protect customers.

·?????? Microsoft Threat Intelligence recently shared a report on how cybercriminals use social engineering during tax season. Learn more about how to protect yourself here .

·?????? And I am so proud to announce that Microsoft was recently named a Leader in IDC MarketScape for Worldwide Modern Endpoint Security across Enterprise, Midsize, and Small Businesses.

This last month has been a wonderful whirlwind of impactful events and travel. Beyond the aforementioned events, I spent a week in Western Europe, which included visiting the beautiful cities of Madrid, Lisbon, Copenhagen and Milan. While there, I heard from customers and discussed Microsoft ’s view of the threat landscape, how AI is impacting it and how generative AI for security can help tip the scales in favor of defenders. I cannot thank our local Microsoft teams enough for making me feel so warmly welcomed!

“Be Water, My Friend: The True Teachings of Bruce Lee”, by Shannon Lee

And as I close the newsletter today, here is a quote that inspires me: “I believe in one thing—that only a life lived for others is a life worth living.” – Albert Einstein

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