Following a meeting with President Joe Biden today, Google and Microsoft announced a $30 billion investment in cybersecurity advancements over the next five years. Microsoft pledged $20 billion, while Google pledged $10 billion.
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On Twitter, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella stated that $150 million of the funding will be used to expand Microsoft’s training network and assist US government agencies in upgrading their digital security systems.
The White House described the investment by the tech giants as follows, “Microsoft … will immediately make available $150 million in technical services to help federal, state, and local governments with upgrading security protection, and will expand partnerships with community colleges and non-profits for cybersecurity training.”
Meanwhile, Google will concentrate on expanding the zero-trust security model, securing the software supply chain, expanding open-source security, and providing more training opportunities to Americans.
Google specifically stated that it will assist 100,000 Americans in earning Google Career Certificates in cybersecurity fields over the next three years.
President Biden met with technology companies and cybersecurity thought leaders today to discuss threats such as the recent SolarWinds attack and how the United States can better defend its digital systems.
In addition to Google and Microsoft’s financial contributions, Apple will implement new, widespread supply-chain protocols in the name of increased security, and Amazon will provide free internal cybersecurity training to the public.
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Other organizations, such as IBM, Girls Who Code, and Code.org, have announced plans to strengthen cybersecurity defenses in government, society, and industry.
It was unclear what would come of today’s White House cybersecurity meeting, but $30 billion (and more) isn’t a bad place to start.