Microsoft has announced three new services to help organizations identify and respond to cybersecurity incidents. This was reported by CNBC TV channel.
Among the new products being launched is Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting. Microsoft engineers will flag problems they find in customer devices, installed Office 365 programs, cloud applications and identity software. The cost is $3 a month per person. The launch of this service will make Microsoft a direct competitor to security software companies such as CrowdStrike. Defender Experts for Hunting will become generally available in the summer of 2022.
Microsoft Defender Experts for XDR costs $14 per person per month. Microsoft employees will help companies respond to threats. A preview version of Defender Experts for XDR will be available in fall 2022.
The third new offering is Microsoft Security Services for Enterprise, which includes an even broader set of services. It is designed for large enterprises that need more comprehensive services with a high level of service from Microsoft experts. It combines proactive threat intelligence, comprehensive Microsoft security intelligence and event management (SIEM), and the XDR stack to protect all cloud environments and all platforms. Microsoft Security Services for Enterprise is sold as a custom solution and is available now.
IDC security analyst Craig Robinson said Microsoft is poised to increase its market share in managed security services.
“I’m sure right now there are 1,000 openings at Microsoft, at least in security,” he said.
Google, one of Microsoft’s main competitors in cloud computing, is also looking to grow in this area. In March, Google announced its intention to acquire Mandiant for $5.4 billion. Bloomberg wrote in February that Microsoft was in talks to buy Mandiant, which has for years helped government agencies and companies eliminate cyber threats.
Last year, Microsoft and other technology companies pledged to hire about 500,000 cybersecurity jobs in the United States. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said annual spending on cybersecurity research and development would rise from $1 billion to $4 billion.
