Microsoft- Expanding Europe’s cybersecurity talent pool

Microsoft  is committed to closing the cybersecurity skills and talent gap in the European Union. We pledge to offer trainings to 100,000 to underserved communities, with a focus on women, individuals interested in starting a career in Cybersecurity, as well as IT professionals looking to expand their cybersecurity skillset. across European Union by end of 2024. 

Our pledge

In Microsoft, we are encouraged by the launch of the Cybersecurity Skills Academy, aiming to increase the number of European professionals trained in cybersecurity and EU's recent call for enabling digital education and providing digital skills. We believe that cybersecurity is a fundamental set of skills for all people, not only IT professionals, and everyone should have the opportunity to acquire these skills.
 

Our Initiative

Digital Inclusion Grant Funded Programs: In FY23 and FY24, we  offered cybersecurity training through our digital inclusion grant funded programs directed at our nonprofit partners across Europe. In particular, our Cybersecurity Skilling Initiative targeting underserved communities with a focus on women to address both the skills and gender gap. This program equipped learners with industry- recognized certifications to facilitate access to further learning and jobs in the industry. 
Microsoft Learn:Through our Microsoft Learn Platform, we are offering self- paced, hands-on training on cybersecurity, available to any individual interested in starting a career in cybersecurity, as well as IT professionals looking to expand their cybersecurity skillset through additional resources such as technical documentation, best practices and practice exams. 
Skills for Jobs: Through our Skills For Jobs Learning Pathways, we are offering individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences the relevant foundational skills to access the most in-demand tech and tech-enabled jobs. In particular, the Systems Administrator pathway offers aspiring cybersecurity professionals the required skills to pursue a career in the industry (cloud administration, security, networking, server and operating systems basics, etc.) as well as a career essentials certificate upon completion to start their professional journey.
 

Update on our pledge

Since January 2023, Microsoft has successfully delivered cybersecurity training to over 126,000 learners in the EU. We remain committed to reaching more Europeans with digital training over the coming year.  
We will also continue to expand our offering of relevant learning content. In October, we launched the Career Essentials Certificate in Cybersecurity, a new LinkedIn Learning Pathway currently available in English, Spanish, and French, which covers commonly used cybersecurity terms, notions about the current threat landscape and other core cybersecurity concepts. We have also launched a new course on Microsoft Copilot for Cybersecurity, which covers the rise of generative AI, how it affects cyber security leaders and professionals, and how to get started with Copilot for Security. It is offered in English with machine generated captions in multiple languages.
Additional commitments to contribute to improving skills and knowledge across the EU
The European Cyber Agora is an inclusive multistakeholder initiative focused on addressing digital challenges related to cybersecurity and disruptive technologies in Europe. Since 2021 it has developed into a platform for the EU cyber community and both deepen and raise awareness regarding cybersecurity knowledge and expertise. As the EU navigates the dynamic geopolitical landscape of cybersecurity, this conference aims to foster cross-sectoral dialogue and collaboration between EU institutions, national governments, cybersecurity agencies, civil society, academia, and industry. Being a platform for inclusive knowledge sharing Agora encourages participants to collaborate, learn, and contribute to building a skilled workforce capable of defending against cyber threats. Every year, Microsoft and the European Cyber Agora partners publish a series of report focused on key issues including:
•    The Future of Multistakeholder Cyber Diplomacy: 2025 and beyond (available here).
•    Stocktaking Exercise of EU Cybersecurity Policy (available here).
•    AI, Transatlantic Alignment and Geopolitics (available here).
•    The Role of the Private Sector during Hybrid Conflict (available here).
Microsoft’s Digital Defense Report (MDDR) provides real-world insights into cyber threats, attack techniques, and defense strategies. By releasing this annual report, Microsoft  shares its valuable knowledge with policymakers, educators, cybersecurity professionals and empowers organizations to enhance their digital defense. We offer targeted briefings to experts, where the knowledge is state-of-art and will raise the expert and skill level.  With the Report, Microsoft draws on our unique vantage point to share insights on how the threat landscape has evolved and discuss the shared opportunities  and challenges we all face in securing a resilient online ecosystem which the world can depend on. 

Microsoft is dedicated to reviewing and updating the status of this pledge every six months.
 

Background

Microsoft is committed to contribute to the EU Cybersecurity Skills Academy and to offer expertise and resources to help diversify the EU cyber workforce and train 100,000 European learners over a two year period (by the end of 2024). The past few years have seen a staggering number of cyberattacks targeting citizens, governments and businesses. According to Microsoft’s latest Digital Defense Report, the past year saw a 35% increase in demand for cybersecurity experts globally and fewer than 15% of NGOs have cybersecurity experts on their staff.