Microsoft wants to try and kill off ransomware for good

Lock on Laptop Screen
(Image credit: Future)

To help organizations combat ransomware (opens in new tab) and other cyberthreats, Microsoft (opens in new tab) is launching a new line of managed security solutions that combine human-led services with expert-trained technology.

Last year alone Microsoft Security blocked over 9.6bn malware (opens in new tab) threats and more than 35bn phishing and other malicious emails while actively tracking over 35 ransomware families and 250 unique threat actors around the world. However, technology by itself isn’t enough to defend against the continued rise of cybercrime.

Share your thoughts on Cybersecurity and get a free copy of the Hacker's Manual 2022 (opens in new tab)

Share your thoughts on Cybersecurity and get a free copy of the Hacker's Manual 2022 (opens in new tab). Help us find how businesses are preparing for the post-Covid world and the implications of these activities on their cybersecurity plans. Enter your email at the end of this survey (opens in new tab) to get the bookazine, worth $10.99/£10.99.

This is why Microsoft’s corporate VP of security, compliance, identity and management, Vasu Jakkal has announced in a new blog post (opens in new tab) that the company is expanding its existing service capabilities under a new service category called Microsoft Security Experts which combines expert-trained technology with human led services.

All in all, the company aims to deliver this new category of services across security, compliance, identity, management and privacy.

Microsoft Security Experts

Based on input from its partner ecosystem, Microsoft has designed three new managed services that allow organizations to scale their team of experts to fit their needs without the challenges of hiring and training new staff.

First off, Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting is designed for organizations that already have a robust security operations center but want Microsoft to help them proactively hunt for threats across Microsoft Defender (opens in new tab) data including endpoints (opens in new tab), Office 365 (opens in new tab), cloud applications and identity. In addition to being able to consult one of the company’s experts about a specific incident, nation-state actor or attack vector with the click of a button, customers will also get specific recommendations to help them understand and improve their security posture.

Microsoft Defender Experts for XDR meanwhile is for organizations that need to extend the capacity of their security operations center with a managed extended detection and response (XDR (opens in new tab)) service that goes beyond endpoints to provide detection and response across Microsoft 365 Defender.

Finally, Microsoft Security Services for Enterprise is a comprehensive, expert-led service that combines proactive threat hunting and managed XDR. With this service, the company’s dedicated security experts manage onboarding, daily interactions, practice modernization and incident response for organizations to help save them time and resources.

While Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting will be available this summer and is now in preview, Microsoft Defender Experts for XDR will move into preview this fall. Microsoft Security Services for Enterprises on the other hand is available now and enterprise customers can contact their Account Executive to learn more.

Anthony Spadafora

After working with the TechRadar Pro team for the last several years, Anthony is now the security and networking editor at Tom’s Guide where he covers everything from data breaches and ransomware gangs to the best way to cover your whole home or business with Wi-Fi. When not writing, you can find him tinkering with PCs and game consoles, managing cables and upgrading his smart home.