Technology Record - Issue 31: Winter 2023

68 The cyberthreat landscape is continuing to evolve towards more effective and damaging attacks, which often take place across a broad and extensive scope, according to the Microsoft Digital Defense Report 2023. Telemetry data from Microsoft indicates that human-operated ransomware attacks are up more than 200 per cent since September 2022. And the report also highlights a rise in data extortion and the skyrocketing frequency of business email compromise. For organisations to protect themselves from spiralling cyberthreats, an intelligent approach to security is required. And that’s where the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA) comes in. Established in 2018, the association began with 26 partners to build intelligent security solutions to integrate with Microsoft Security products to help protect shared customers against cyberthreats. Almost six years later, MISA is now a vibrant ecosystem of over 300 members, with over 250 software integrations and 670 managed security service offerings. Microsoft’s portfolio of security products has evolved too – and now comprises Microsoft Defender, Microsoft Entra, Microsoft Intune, Microsoft Priva, Microsoft Purview and Microsoft Sentinel. These products are designed to work together and cover all aspects of security – from stopping cyberattacks to managing identities, safeguarding data, ensuring privacy and strengthening device security. “Like any hard problem, cybersecurity requires enlisting help from a diverse set of perspectives,” says Maria Thomson, director of MISA. “But today, companies are too often challenged by the Maria Thomson explains how members of the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association are collectively protecting organisations from security threats BY ALICE CHAMBERS FEATURE against Combining battle cybercrime forces in the “ Our joint customers have peace of mind knowing they have access to leading security technology”

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