CEO Satya Nadella says Microsoft is “doubling down” on this “No. 1 priority”

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has called cybersecurity the company’s “No.1 priority.” This follows criticism about Microsoft’s handling of attacks by hackers linked to China and Russia targeting US government agencies. A recent report indicated Microsoft is undertaking its “biggest security update in twenty years” and Nadella’s statement confirms this focus.
In an earnings call last week, Nadella told analysts that the company is increasing its focus on cybersecurity.
“Security underpins every layer of the tech stack and it’s our No. 1 priority,” Nadella said.
“We are doubling down on this very important work, putting security above all else, before all other features and investments,” he added

How cybersecurity put Microsoft in a spot

Microsoft is reportedly the world’s largest seller of cybersecurity products and has been called on by the authors of a report by US Cyber Safety Review Board to institute urgent reforms in the wake of foreign government hacking attempts.
“It [Microsoft] is a critical partner in the government’s cyberdefense initiatives, with almost unparalleled insights about hackers’ activities and sweeping capabilities to disrupt their operations,” the report said.
Since 2021, foreign government-backed hackers have targeted Microsoft products and its customers multiple times, gaining access to sensitive files.
Microsoft’s security chief Charlie Bell reportedly said that hackers are “incredibly good at collecting data over time, gathering and gathering more and more momentum and then figuring out how to keep parlaying that into more and more success.”
According to Bell, the incidents prompted the company executives to say: “Well, let’s step back for a moment.”
Notably, Microsoft’s internal teams are said to have started prioritising cybersecurity over new product development.