Microsoft says to step up AI-powered European cybersecurity
Its new European Security Program 'puts AI at the center of our work as a tool to protect traditional cybersecurity needs,' Microsoft Vice Chairman Brad Smith wrote in a blog post.
Aiming to deliver real-time intelligence about cyber threats to governments, the scheme will extend to the '27 EU member states, as well as EU accession countries, members of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), the UK, Monaco, and the Vatican,' he added.
Microsoft accused the governments of Russia, China, Iran and North Korea of being behind infiltration of European computer networks for espionage and other purposes.
Meanwhile cybercriminals are expanding attacks using tools such as ransomware, which encrypts data on victims' computers and demands they fork over cash to unlock it again.
'We see 600 million attacks on our customers every single day,' Smith told reporters in a briefing ahead of the blog post's release, calling cyberdefence a 'multi-billion-dollar expense for customers across Europe'.
AI systems can help detect and identify new forms of attack, Mr. Smith wrote in his blog post.
But Microsoft has seen malicious actors using the technology for everything from researching targets to writing code and 'social engineering' — or convincing human employees to facilitate access by hackers.
And 'influence operations' by nation-states 'are increasingly using AI to mislead and deceive' including with convincing 'deepfake' images, audio and video, Smith added.
The company itself 'tracks any malicious use of new AI models we release and proactively prevents known threat actors from using' them, he wrote.
Microsoft last month helped police across Europe take down large swathes of digital infrastructure supporting an 'infostealing' network, Lumma, that had been gathering sensitive information like passwords and crypto wallets from victims' devices.
In future, members of the company's Digital Crimes Unit will be embedded with Europol's cybercrime specialists in The Hague, Smith wrote, part of a broader increase in collaboration with European security forces.
Microsoft's cybersecurity effort is part of a wider push to increase its operations in Europe.
The drive comes as trade tensions simmer between the EU and the Trump administration in the U.S., with many voices questioning European firms' strategic dependence on American-made technology.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
a minute ago
- India Today
Tech layoffs: TCS, Microsoft, Intel among 5 slashing thousands of jobs in apparent AI restructure
Several global tech companies, including TCS, Microsoft, Intel, Meta, and Panasonic, are laying off thousands of employees this year as they adjust to changing business needs and the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI). While some companies say the cuts are tied to efficiency and restructuring, others like TCS are pointing to internal challenges such as skill mismatches. Here is everything you need to know about the latest set of layoffsTata Consultancy Services (TCS), India's biggest IT firm, is reducing its global workforce by about 2 per cent, which could affect around 12,000 employees. However, the company insists this move is not due to AI-based productivity gains. In a recent interview, TCS CEO K Krithivasan clarified to Money Control that the layoffs are happening because of limited options to redeploy employees who do not match current project requirements. He said the company is still actively hiring and training people, but some roles, especially at mid and senior levels, are hard to explained that while over 5.5 lakh employees have been trained in basic digital skills and nearly 1 lakh in advanced technologies, some senior professionals are struggling to adapt beyond the initial training levels. As a result, the company is finding it difficult to deploy them job cuts Microsoft, too, has let go of more than 15,000 employees this year. On top of that, around 2,000 workers labelled as underperformers have also exited the company. This comes even as Microsoft is reporting strong earnings and hitting record-high stock prices. In a memo to employees, CEO Satya Nadella acknowledged the layoffs and said he understands how difficult this period has been for everyone. Despite the company's solid financial health, he said restructuring is necessary to stay aligned with long-term goals, especially as Microsoft continues to invest heavily, around $80 billion — in building AI job cutsIntel is making one of the biggest cuts this year, with plans to reduce its workforce by about 24,000 employees — roughly a quarter of its total staff. The decision was announced during the company's quarterly earnings update. Intel's new CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, said the company is focusing on becoming leaner and more efficient after overbuilding in areas where demand didn't materialise as expected. As part of this shift, Intel is cancelling some of its factory projects in Germany and Poland, and is moving some work from Costa Rica to Vietnam — impacting around 2,000 employees in Costa Rica layoffsMeanwhile, Meta has made fresh job cuts in its Reality Labs division, which looks after its VR and AR products, including games for its Quest headsets. While the company did not share exact numbers, teams working on some notable projects like the Supernatural fitness app were affected. Meta said the goal is to streamline operations and improve focus on future mixed reality experiences. Earlier this year, Meta had also cut 5 percent of its workforce in a separate round, targeting underperforming layoffsadvertisementJapanese tech giant Panasonic has also joined the list, with a plan to cut 10,000 jobs as part of a broader effort to reduce costs and invest more in future technologies like AI. About half of these cuts will be in Japan, with the rest overseas. CEO Yuki Kusumi said the company is shifting away from slower segments like TVs and some industrial products, and expressed regret over the decision but emphasised that these steps are necessary for long-term growth.- Ends
The Hindu
a minute ago
- The Hindu
Rupee rises 9 paise to 86.43 against U.S. dollar in early trade
The rupee appreciated 9 paise to 86.43 against the U.S. dollar in early trade on Monday (July 28, 2025), tracking a softer greenback, though the upside for the local unit was limited as US-India tariff negotiations remained in focus. Forex traders said the rupee was trading in a narrow range as the demand for dollar from importers continued to keep the American unit well bid against the rupee. Moreover, the support from developing trade agreements was negated by the sustained foreign fund outflows, they said. At the interbank foreign exchange, the domestic unit opened on a positive note and touched 86.43 against the greenback in initial deals, higher by 9 paise from its previous closing level. On Friday, the rupee declined 12 paise to settle at 86.52 against the U.S. dollar. Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, fell 0.03% to 97.61. Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, went up by 0.48% to $68.77 per barrel in futures trade, supported by developing trade agreements. Brent oil prices edged up from three week lows in Asian trading to $68 per barrel after E.U. and U.S. reached a trade agreement that eased tariff concerns and boosted future energy demands, said Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP. The investors are now watching developments from FED which begins its two-day policy meeting from Tuesday (July 29, 2025), Mr. Bhansali said. "The Indian rupee is expected to be steady near 86.47 after the European deal was done but India is still away from a conclusive deal," Mr. Bhansali said, adding that the month-end demand may keep the rupee stable. Meanwhile, in the domestic equity market, Sensex declined 67.43 points or 0.08% to 81,395.66, while Nifty fell 14.25 points or 0.06% to 24,851.25. Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth ₹1,979.96 crore on a net basis on Friday, according to exchange data. Meanwhile, India's forex kitty declined by $1.183 billion to $695.489 billion during the week ended July 18, the RBI said on Friday. In the previous week, the overall kitty had dropped by $3.064 billion to $696.672 billion. The reserves had touched an all-time high of $704.885 billion at end-September 2024.
Indian Express
a minute ago
- Indian Express
US commerce secretary says Trump really likes TikTok, but app has to move to US ownership
U.S. President Donald Trump likes TikTok but the Chinese-owned short video app, used by some 170 million Americans, has to move to U.S. ownership, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said on Sunday. 'The President really likes TikTok, and he said it over and over again, because, you know, it was a good way to communicate with young people,' Lutnick said in an interview on Fox News Sunday with Shannon Bream. 'But let's face it, you can't have the Chinese have an app on 100 million American phones, that is just not okay. So, it's got to move to American ownership, it's got to move to American technology, American algorithms,' he said. 'I know the President is positive towards TikTok, if it can move into American hands.'
