Nichols Martin
Microsoft has initiated a national campaign aimed at expanding the cybersecurity workforce to 250,000 professionals by 2025 in an effort to address the current shortage of employees in the said field.
Brad Smith, president and vice chair at Microsoft, wrote on a blog post published Thursday that the initiative is done in collaboration with U.S. community colleges and that the company and other technology companies will employ the individuals as part of the campaign.
The company president also noted that the industry must take advantage of the abundance, flexibility, affordability, diversity and effectiveness of community colleges.
“We need to mobilize America’s community colleges and enlist them in the cybersecurity battle,” he said.
Moreover, Microsoft’s cybersecurity investments have undergone a boost in response to the series of hacking and ransomware cases that occurred over the past year.
The company committed $20 billion to cybersecurity development for five years and an additional $150 million to support cyber training programs and help government agencies modernize their security systems.
Aside from cybersecurity-focused recruitment and commitment, Microsoft continues its efforts to develop emerging security technologies such as identity management, endpoint security and passwordless login.
