The 2022 Microsoft Digital defence Report highlights the evolving digital threat landscape and the increased collaboration among global defenders. It offers actionable insights and steps based on data collected from July 2022 to June 2023. The report emphasizes the critical role of artificial intelligence in successful defence and the need for massive amounts of data to stay ahead of threats.
Microsoft’s access to diverse security data enables them to understand the state of cybersecurity and identify indicators to predict attackers’ next moves. The report also discusses the importance of basic security hygiene, stating that the vast majority of successful cyberattacks could be thwarted by implementing a few fundamental security practices.
The report provides insights into the state of cybercrime, nation state threats, and the increasing attack surface of the digital world. It also outlines Microsoft’s significant investments in security research, innovation, and collaboration within the security community.
The Microsoft Digital Defence Report 2023 highlights several key findings and insights, including:
- Artificial Intelligence in Cyber defence: The report emphasizes the critical role of artificial intelligence (AI) in cybersecurity, stating that innovation in AI-powered cyber defence will help counter the rising tide of cyberattacks.
- Basic Security Hygiene: The majority of successful cyberattacks could be prevented by implementing fundamental security hygiene practices. The report suggests that basic security measures can protect against 99% of attacks.
- Unmanaged Devices and Nation-State Threats: The report reveals that over 80% of compromises originate from unmanaged devices, emphasizing the vulnerability posed by such devices. It also discusses the increasing sophistication of nation-state cyber actors.
- Collaboration and Partnerships: Microsoft emphasizes the importance of collaboration and partnerships in building cyber resilience, transcending borders, industries, and the public-private divide. Collective defence and collaboration are highlighted as critical in the fight against cybercrime.
What are the actionable steps from this Microsoft Report?
The Microsoft Digital Defence Report 2023 offers actionable steps and insights based on data collected from July 2022 to June 2023. Some of the recommended actionable steps include:
- Implementing Basic Security Hygiene: The report emphasizes that the vast majority of successful cyberattacks could be prevented by implementing fundamental security hygiene practices. Using hyper-scale cloud technology can make it easier to implement these practices.
- Spotting Weak Points and Resource Allocation: Organizations are advised to uncover system vulnerabilities that might be targeted by cyber adversaries and determine where their highest risks are, directing resources to the most critical areas.
- defence Augmentation: Utilize assessment insights to bolster cyber defences, thereby reducing the potential severity of cyberattacks.
- Strategic Blueprint: The report suggests using the insights to guide overarching cybersecurity strategies and decisions on investing in specific cybersecurity solutions.
You can find out more about Microsoft’s view on digital defence here.
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