The Los Angeles Post

Tech groups pledge action on cybersecurity

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The federal government and several major technology companies on Wednesday announced they are taking a host of steps to enhance the nation’s cybersecurity, specifically focused on growing the cyber workforce and investing billions of dollars in the field.

The announcements followed a meeting on cybersecurity at the White House with President Biden and key members of his administration on cybersecurity, and on the heels of months of high-profile cyberattacks.

Biden met with officials of over two dozen groups from a range of fields, including the leaders of Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, IBM, Microsoft, Bank of America, JPMorgan, Duke Energy, PG&E, Travelers insurance, and the University of Texas System.

Following the meeting, several of the companies announced massive cybersecurity funding commitments, including Microsoft, which said that it would commit $20 billion over the next five years to help integrate cybersecurity into products and advance cybersecurity solutions. It is also establishing a $150 million program to provide federal, state and local governments with funds to enhance cybersecurity.

In addition, Google announced a major investment of $10 billion over the next five years to strengthen cybersecurity, pledging an additional $100 million to support third-party security groups, while Amazon announced it would begin offering free security awareness training to the public in October.

A senior official told reporters Tuesday night that the meeting would serve as a “call to action” to address escalating cyber risks, and promised “concrete” actions would be taken following the meeting.