Redmond-Based Microsoft To Address Cybersecurity Worker Shortage

REDMOND, WA — Cyberattacks are becoming increasingly common for businesses of all sizes. Redmond-based Microsoft hopes to do its part to help combat the growing problem.

"Criminal ransomware groups have attacked schools, penetrated hospitals and shut down a critical national pipeline," wrote Brad Smith, Microsoft's president and vice chair, in a company blog post. "We recognize that no one has a higher responsibility to address cybersecurity threats than leading tech companies."

On Thursday, the company announced the launch of a training program for community college students with the goal of filling 250,000 cybersecurity jobs by 2025. In doing so, Smith said this will address half of the nation’s cybersecurity workforce shortage.

"While some of these individuals will work at Microsoft, the vast majority will work for tens of thousands of other employers across the country," Smith said.

For almost every two cybersecurity jobs in the United States today, a third job is sitting empty because of a shortage of skilled people, according to Microsoft. The tech giant believes that community colleges offer the greatest chance at addressing the cybersecurity shortage and expanding the workforce.

To help community colleges do just that, Microsoft has announced an initial commitment to:

• Make curriculum available free of charge to all of the nation’s public community colleges.
• Provide training for new and existing faculty at 150 community colleges.
• Provide scholarships and supplemental resources to 25,000 students.

The new initiative will build on Microsoft's commitment this year to invest $20 billion over five years to advance its own security solutions and protect customers, as well as $150 million to help U.S. government agencies upgrade protections, and expand the company's cybersecurity training partnerships.

To learn more about Microsoft's cybersecurity initiative, click here.