Cybersecurity risk management at Microsoft is an enterprise-wide discipline spanning governance, engineering, operations, and organizational culture. Through our international operations and diverse portfolio of products, services, and regulatory obligations, we’ve developed a mature, scalable framework designed to facilitate proactive risk identification, structured mitigation, and continuous oversight.
This article presents our approach to cybersecurity risk management, detailing the internal governance structures, lifecycle methodologies, regulatory compliance processes, and organizational practices that collectively promote transparency and accountability. This approach is built on two foundational components: a structured risk management lifecycle and a governance model that integrates cybersecurity risk into enterprise-level decision making.
Governance as the foundation
Microsoft’s cybersecurity risk management program is fundamentally structured around robust governance mechanisms. Central to this framework is the Cybersecurity Governance Council, a cross-functional body composed of the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), Deputy CISOs (DCISOs), and…
