On Monday, Microsoft announced its new Cybersecurity Program for Rural Hospitals in the United States. Rural hospitals serve more than 60 million people in our nation. Too often, these critical hospitals are targeted by ransomware attacks, which threaten care in rural communities. The program will be rolled out in collaboration with the White House, the […]

Eighty years ago yesterday—June 6, 1944, known as D-Day—world history hung in the balance. By this time today 80 years ago, Allied forces had a foothold in northern France, and the end of WWII in the European theater was in sight. Now AI is becoming a valuable tool to help preserve this critical chapter of

Building a workforce educated in cutting-edge technology is essential to American innovation, competitiveness, and security. To support a workforce for the AI era, U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) recently introduced the bipartisan NSF AI Education Act of 2024. This bill authorizes the National Science Foundation (NSF) to award university scholarships for

This week, there were two important AI policy developments in Washington, DC. The U.S. Senate released a bipartisan AI policy roadmap, calling for substantial federal investment in AI as well as the development of rules to protect data privacy, expand AI access for small businesses, and more. Politico provides a good synopsis of this news. This week also

In advance of this week’s RSA IT Security Conference, Microsoft announced an expansion of its Secure Future Initiative (SFI) in response to the evolving threat landscape. In conjunction with the expansion of SFI, CEO Satya Nadella wrote a public letter to the entire company, “prioritizing cybersecurity above all else.” Coverage can be found in Cybersecurity News and MSSP Alert. Unless Congress acts,

Earlier this week, Microsoft released its inaugural annual Responsible AI Transparency Report. You can find the foreword here and the full report here. The report details the company’s practices and policies for developing responsible, accountable AI. Notably, the report highlights the ways that public policy is playing a role in fostering a safe, trustworthy AI ecosystem. Microsoft’s practices,

AI is transforming many areas of research and applied science—and it will be an increasingly valuable tool for researching climate change and driving innovations in energy. In advance of Earth Day, NASA highlighted how it is developing new AI foundation models for earth, climate, and atmospheric research. You can also explore Microsoft’s vision for using AI for

Dear Executive Briefing Subscribers— Earlier this week, the Microsoft Threat Analysis Center (MTAC) released a new report on the current scope of foreign election interference in the U.S.—and the use of AI for malign influence. The full report can be found here and a summary discussion here. Microsoft and many other tech companies are taking steps to detect

Earlier this week, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and U.S. Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) released a discussion draft of the bipartisan, bicameral American Privacy Rights Act. This is a significant step forward in advancing federal data privacy legislation. The proposal establishes clear data privacy rights and protections, and preempts the existing patchwork of state

Late last week, news broke that San Francisco-based Microsoft software engineer Andres Freund discovered a serious security vulnerability maliciously inserted into the Linux operating system. As a contributor to Linux, Microsoft supports Linux and other open source technologies on Azure. The backdoor could have led to a major cyberattack. Freund is being hailed as a hero, and

The end of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is nearly here. Created by the 2021 infrastructure bill, the ACP enabled 23 million low-income American households to get online by providing access to discounted broadband services and devices. The program runs out of funding next month or in early May. Congress recently passed budget bills for

Policymakers at all levels of government are considering ways to best regulate AI as well as to access the benefits of this powerful, fast-developing technology. Earlier this week, the White House issued an executive order (EO) that in part directs federal agencies to leverage AI to improve research and drive better health outcomes for women.