Microsoft Enters into Partnerships to Fight Cybercrime
Microsoft Corp. announced three new global partnerships Wednesday with the Organization of American States, Europol and FIS to increase cooperation between international law enforcement and the private sector in combatting cybercrime and helping build a safer Internet.
Microsoft officials signed memorandums of understanding with representatives of the three organizations during the company’s first annual Cybercrime Enforcement Summit, which brought together more than 60 leaders and experts from law enforcement, academia and the private sector to share legal and technical solutions to confront the global spread of cybercrime.
The conference follows the opening last fall of the Microsoft Cybercrime Center, a facility designed to advance the global fight against cybercrime.
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The agreements establish a framework for cooperation and are intended to spur collaboration and help Microsoft work with each of the three organizations to pursue criminal enterprises engaged in cybercrime.
Microsoft, the OAS, Europol and FIS anticipate that the collaboration will enable them to strengthen their forensic and technical analysis of malware and botnets; assessment and investigation of emerging malware threats; enforcement actions against cybercriminals; and the ultimate dismantling of these criminal organizations.
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“Cybercriminals are increasingly sophisticated in preying on consumers, including children and senior citizens,” said Brad Smith, Microsoft executive vice president and general counsel. “These agreements will help the private and public sectors fight cybercrime more effectively, while protecting our customers’ privacy.”
Financial crimes in particular pose a serious cybersecurity threat. As the world’s leading provider of financial technology, FIS is on the front lines of the fight to maintain cybersecurity of payments and financial transactions worldwide.
By signing this MOU, FIS is taking another step on behalf of its financial institution clients to help protect them against cybercrime.
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Organization of American States (OAS) was established in part to strengthen collaboration among its member states, which currently includes all 34 independent states of the Americas. OAS is committed to developing a culture of cybersecurity by taking effective, preventative measures to anticipate, address and respond to cyberattacks.
Europol is the European Union’s law enforcement agency whose main goal is to help achieve a safer Europe for the benefit of all EU citizens. It does this by assisting the European Union’s Member States in their fight against serious international crime and terrorism.
In the picture above: Left to Right, Ambassador Adam Blackwell, the Organization of American States; Brad Smith, Executive Vice President and General Counsel at Microsoft; Troels Oerting, Assistant Director at Europol; David Dunn, Manager of the Threat Intelligence at FIS.
