Microsoft has moved its Chief Information Security Officer from the company's security organization in a move that suggests the growing importance of artificial intelligence in the software giant.
Igor Tsyganskiy's CISO is responsible for securing Microsoft's own business and setting cybersecurity standards within the company.
He reports to EVP Scott Guthrie, who currently runs Microsoft's Cloud+ AI group. This is an organization that runs critical businesses like Microsoft's Azure Cloud, and is a team that helps Openai and other AI companies develop and run huge AI models and chatbots in the cloud.
“As we continue to navigate increasingly complex global threats, the CISO team plays a key role in protecting Microsoft, Microsoft Cloud and customers,” Guthrie wrote in a recent note. “They are our first line of defense and encourage our services, products, platforms and operations to be safer and safer by default.”
According to a memo from Business Insider, Tsyganskiy previously reported to Charlie Bell, head of the security group that oversees all security and compliance at Microsoft.
This is an example of how important AI is to Microsoft. Spokesman Frank Shaw said the move will bring Tsyganskiy's organization closer to a system that can help protect it.
“The CISO organization focuses on protecting Microsoft and its customers and zero customers in security products,” Shaw said. “Moving teams to Cloud + AI will get closer to the engineering systems they secure, deepen integration with platform development and enhance the ability to see new threats and stop them.”
The Tsyganskiy team has worked closely with Microsoft Security to say that “make our solutions reflect the needs of real-world companies.”
This move is also the latest change in Microsoft's approach to security after some well-known challenges in recent years. Microsoft hired Bell from Amazon to run a new cybersecurity organization in 2022, but the company is still struggling.
Last year, the Department of Homeland Security denounced Microsoft for what it called a “cascade of security failures,” which allowed Chinese hackers to access emails from thousands of customers.
Microsoft has expanded it Secure future initiatives Last year, security has been a top priority for all employees. Performance Review.
Tsyganskiy became Microsoft's CISO in January 2024. Bell praised him in an internal memo seen by BI at the time, saying he was “a technician and dynamic leader with a career renowned in high-end/high-end, harsh environments.”
Any hints? Please contact this reporter by email astewart@businessinsider.com Or the signal +1-425-344-8242. Use your personal email address and unprocessed devices. Here's a guide to sharing information safely.
