This week, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced $10.5 million in grants awarded in New York through the federal Homeland Security program. Included in that funding are FY2023 and FY2024 grants that will be used for equipment and training to enhance preparedness, protect critical infrastructure, and advance cybersecurity capabilities. “My number one priority is public safety and ensuring that local municipalities have the support necessary to protect New Yorkers when threats emerge,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement Wednesday. “With these grants, we are directly investing in the teams who defend New York's critical infrastructure from physical and cyber threats and respond when emergencies strike — ensuring a secure New York ahead of this summer's events." Included in the list of various grant programs this week was funding for the Hazardous Materials Targeted Grant Program, of which Warren County won just over $246,000. Warren County Director of Public Affairs Don Lehman said that the funding is going to be used by the seven-county regional Adirondack Hazardous Materials Consortium to be able to maintain equipment and materials the consortium uses. This will include the testing of equipment and the replacement of expired materials that are used for hazardous material spill response. The counties involved in this consortium include Warren, Washington, Essex, Hamilton, Clinton, Franklin and St. Lawrence. Lehman said that a significant amount of the consortium’s equipment and materials are housed at the Warren County Municipal Center and overseen by Warren County’s Hazardous Materials coordinator, James Schrammel, who is assigned to the Warren County Office of Emergency Services. Another area of grant awards in this week's announcement includes funding through the Cybersecurity Grant Program. Washington County was one of 18 grantees and will receive $50,000 in funding through the program. This program provided funding for municipalities to be able to enhance their
Apr 6, 2026 · via govtech.com
A press release on April 6, 2026 from Maine House Democrats: On Thursday, the Maine House voted unanimously to advance a bill from Rep. Julie McCabe, D-Lewiston, that would help prevent cybersecurity attacks on Maine hospitals and ensure continuity of patient care when future cyberattacks occur. As amended, LD 2103 would require Maine hospitals to adopt a cybersecurity plan consistent with best practices established by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and other national organizations. The plan must include provisions for hospitals to ensure the timely notification of law enforcement and state regulators if an attack occurs, establish backup communications systems and implement annual training for employees. “Cyberattacks pose a serious risk to our already-fragile health care system,” said McCabe. “We’ve already seen how a cyberattack can impact Maine hospitals and leave patients in dire straits. This legislation will help ensure that our hospitals are prepared to deal with these types of incidents, respond promptly and effectively to patient needs, and protect sensitive information.” The bill was born out of two separate cyber-incidents last spring, impacting five hospitals across Maine. The cyberattacks crippled basic communication services, exposed serious and wide-ranging breakdowns in hospitals’ protocols and threatened patient care for weeks — including both preventative care and care for cancer patients. The five Maine hospitals impacted by these cyberattacks were Covenant Health’s St. Mary’s Hospital in Lewiston, St. Joseph’s Hospital in Bangor and Central Maine Medical Center’s hospitals in Lewiston, Bridgton and Rumford. More than 400,000 people, almost one-third of the state’s residents, were put at risk. The bill faces further votes in the House and Senate in the coming days.
Apr 6, 2026 · via databreaches.net
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Apr 6, 2026 · via youtube.com
Pamela McLeod is set to take over that job on April 17, according to state CIO Denis Goulet, who told Government Technology that she will report to him. She replaces Ken Weeks, who became CISO in June 2022 and has taken a private-sector job as national security adviser with The ATOM Group, which sells cyber defense services and custom software development. McLeod comes from ACT, the college testing operation, where she worked as director of cybersecurity. Her professional experience also includes working as CISO for the Concord School District in the capital of New Hampshire. She has a Master of Engineering from Purdue University and also served as chair for the Alton School Board in New Hampshire, during with she “led district negotiations and superintendent searches,” according to her LinkedIn profile. “Pam comes to us with significant public-sector technology experience and has been a great leader and partner in NH’s whole-of-state cybersecurity effort,” Goulet said via email on Monday. “Pam’s energy, passion and cybersecurity domain expertise make her an excellent addition to the NH Department of Information Technology leadership team.” Whole-of-state cybersecurity refers to using multiple resources from various departments and agencies in what amounts to a team effort to shore up public-sector cyber defenses. In fact, The ATOM Group — where Weeks has gone — has worked with the state’s IT department on its Cyber Incident Response Plan, according to Goulet.
Apr 6, 2026 · via govtech.com
Driving Business Value Through Advanced Cybersecurity STORY INLINE POST Q: What key cybersecurity risks do you address for organizations operating in high-risk and regulated environments? A: We focus primarily on two fronts. The first is streamlining system assurance through practical, easy-to-implement solutions aimed at vulnerability remediation. The second is supporting regulatory compliance by generating the evidence and documentation required by authorities such as the Banxico, the National Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV), the Mexican Bank Association, and standards like PCI. We help fintech companies align with the Fintech Law and other cybersecurity provisions issued by authorities. Our auditors are also developers, which allows us to provide precise, actionable technical recommendations. This facilitates direct communication between specialists, avoiding approaches that are limited to checklist compliance. Each recommendation is tailored to the client’s specific technology — whether it is a platform, cloud, or particular architecture — enabling the implementation of effective solutions without trial-and-error processes. This significantly reduces exposure time to risks, a critical factor in cybersecurity. We also help companies move directly to solutions by validating results and providing reports free of vulnerabilities, which they can present to their regulators. This approach optimizes time and resources by eliminating the need to research or interpret how to resolve each finding. We have observed significant growth in demand from small businesses. In Mexico, cybersecurity regulation is limited outside highly regulated sectors, leaving many organizations without clear guidelines. Although there have been attempts to introduce a cybersecurity law, there are still important gaps, especially in implementation. This creates a context in which many small companies remain unaware of risks until they experience an incident, such as unauthorized access to systems or accounts. Since the pandemic, attacks have increased significantly, which has heightened awareness and demand for these services. Q: How does Borealix’s approach enhance
Apr 6, 2026 · via mexicobusiness.news
Digital, data and cybersecurity skills are emerging as foundational capabilities for employability and workforce growth, while industry-recognised certifications and diversity-led skilling are increasingly shaping hiring confidence across organisations, according to NIIT India Skills Gap Report 2026, a nationwide study conducted in partnership with YouGov.
The report, which was released recently, drew responses from 700 recruiters, CXOs, senior leaders and academic heads, spanning industries such as IT/ITeS, BFSI, manufacturing, healthcare, e-commerce, EdTech, government, FMCG, telecom and auto.
Digital, data and cybersecurity drive future hiring demand
Across the hiring ecosystem, digital and data skills consistently rank among the top three most critical capabilities for the next 3-5 years across all cohorts surveyed — students, employees, recruiters, CXOs and academia, according to the report.
As organisations integrate AI into business operations, hiring signals are becoming more precise and outcome-driven. The study reveals that 38% of respondents agree that employers increasingly value certifications and micro-credentials beyond traditional degrees, reflecting a clear move away from degree-only hiring norms.
Published - April 07, 2026 01:10 am IST
Apr 6, 2026 · via thehindu.com
On March 19, 2026, the USC Division of IT hosted its first annual AI Day, bringing together students, faculty and industry leaders to explore how artificial intelligence is shaping learning, research and innovation across disciplines. The event featured keynote speakers from Microsoft, OpenAI, Gartner, DataCamp, Boodlebox and Zoom, reinforcing USC’s commitment to connecting campus efforts with real-world applications and industry expertise. AI Day also created space for meaningful dialogue. Student and faculty panels explored ethical AI use and emphasized the importance of maintaining a human centered approach. Students shared growing confidence in using tools like ChatGPT Edu to support their academic work, while faculty highlighted the urgency of preparing students with AI knowledge from the start of their academic journey. A highlight of the event was the AI Day Poster Competition, which featured 35 presentations from across the university. Projects were organized into three categories: Teaching, Learning, and Student Support; AI Strategy, Operations, and Society; and AI for Health, Science, Engineering, and Cybersecurity. A special Zoom Choice Award recognized an additional standout project. Poster Competition Winners Category: Teaching, Learning, and Student Support Kasie Roark, M.S., Ph.D. Candidate, Biomedical Sciences Roark’s work through the USC School of Medicine Columbia AI Task Force is advancing how artificial intelligence is integrated into medical education and research. Her efforts focus on building AI literacy, ethical awareness, and practical application across students, faculty, and staff. Initiatives such as an AI in Medicine track, seminar series, and ethics programming are helping create a structured and responsible approach to AI in healthcare education. Category: AI Strategy, Operations and Society Keah Tandon, Ph.D. Candidate, Educational Psychology and Research Tandon’s research introduces a new approach to automating literature synthesis using an AI assisted pipeline. By transforming PDF annotations into structured datasets, this work helps students and researchers organize large
Apr 6, 2026 · via sc.edu
The PLOS One Editors retract this article [1] due to concerns about compromised peer review and compliance with PLOS policy on Authorship. We regret that the issues were not addressed prior to the article’s publication.
In addition, the article cited as reference 16 in [1] was retracted before this article was published.
IZ, EO, SJ, HA, and AA did not agree with the retraction. SA, SH, and NP either did not respond directly or could not be reached.
Reference
Citation: The PLOS One Editors (2026) Retraction: Enhancing IoT cybersecurity through lean-based hybrid feature selection and ensemble learning: A visual analytics approach to intrusion detection. PLoS One 21(4): e0346538. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0346538
Published: April 6, 2026
Copyright: © 2026 The PLOS One Editors. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Apr 6, 2026 · via journals.plos.org
Fagan Afandiyev has a knack for analyzing situations, finding vulnerabilities and creating strategic solutions. That talent led to a highly anticipated internship this summer as a penetration tester at Microsoft’s Redmond, Washington headquarters. But his analytical ability to think strategically wasn’t something that began in a college classroom. It emerged years earlier in high school, and his instructors took notice. During Afandiyev’s high school years, he excelled in developing clever strategies to compete in national and international robotics competitions. His talents then became been a driving force in his college career, studying cybersecurity at USF’s Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing. Whitehatters and CyberHerd competitions soon followed. And in his internship role as a penetration tester, he will work at identifying weaknesses in computer systems before attackers can exploit them. He’s made it his specialty. “You're trying to find vulnerabilities that someone, an attacker, will have found, and you're reporting that so it can be patched,” he said. “What’s great is that I’ve been specializing in Microsoft systems the last three years. So, getting the internship is just great!" Discovering a passion for technology Afandiyev’s interest in computing began in middle school when teachers recognized his aptitude for working with computers. “So, it started in middle school, and I was in sixth grade at the time,” he said. “My school was making a quiz for the whole school.” At the time, his school in Azerbaijan was identifying students with strong critical thinking skills and introducing them to specialized areas of study. “The professor realized that I'm real good computers, IT and stuff,” he said. “The robotics teacher at the school, he just told me, ‘Just go sit by my side and watch for a while, then you're going do robotics things yourself.’” It was a pivotal moment for
Apr 6, 2026 · via usf.edu
AI Application Security: Use Cases in Cyber Security With AI-powered threats advancing rapidly, traditional cybersecurity measures struggle to keep pace. These sophisticated attacks can infiltrate networks and spread before defenses respond. To protect critical data and applications, organizations must adopt AI application security strategies that address unique risks like prompt injection, data poisoning, and autonomous agent misuse. As regulations like the EU AI Act and NIST AI RMF evolve, implementing robust AI security frameworks has become essential for compliance and safeguarding AI-powered systems. AI-Driven Changes in the Cybersecurity Landscape AI is now increasingly leveraged in both cyberattacks and cybersecurity. On one side, cybercriminals are using AI to create advanced attack vectors that evade conventional detection methods, such as adaptive malware and personalized phishing messages created by generative AI. At the same time, the rise of AI-powered systems with sophisticated decision-making capabilities introduces new security challenges, making it critical to identify vulnerabilities unique to these systems, such as data poisoning, prompt injection, and model theft. On the other side, the use of AI in cyber security is enhancing threat detection, incident response, and risk management, as well as streamlining security operations through automation. To effectively counter evolving threats, organizations must prioritize real-time response. Continuous monitoring and runtime protection for AI applications are essential, enabling early detection of anomalies, vulnerabilities, and malicious activities before they escalate. Centralized visibility is also crucial, allowing security teams to oversee AI environments, discover shadow AI activities, and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. Mature AI security programs deliver measurable risk reduction, helping organizations achieve greater business value and ROI. To maximize protection, organizations should implement defense in depth strategies that combine strong identity controls, continuous monitoring, and automated response capabilities for AI applications. The Speed Gap One of the key impacts of AI-driven cyber threats is the
Apr 6, 2026 · via checkpoint.com
Dealmakers at The Riverside Company had extra cause to kick back over the Easter break as promotions flew like confetti and the team closed a significant bolt-on acquisition for portfolio company Virtual IT Group.
The cybersecurity firm snapped up Sydney-headquartered rival Security Centric in the days leading up to the long weekend, Street Talk can reveal. The deal is slated to scale the managed services powerhouse into a $200 million-plus annual revenue business and expand its footprint. Virtual IT bought Auckland-based The Instillery last year for an undisclosed amount.
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Apr 6, 2026 · via afr.com
The rapid evolution of cyber threats—particularly AI-driven malware—has pushed cybersecurity into a new era. Traditional defenses, which rely heavily on static rules and signature-based detection, are increasingly inadequate against adaptive and autonomous attacks. In response, agentic AI systems have emerged as a transformative solution. These systems, capable of reasoning, planning, and acting autonomously, are redefining how organizations detect, prevent, and neutralize malware development and large-scale cyber threat campaigns. Agentic AI differs fundamentally from earlier AI models. Instead of simply responding to predefined inputs, these systems operate with goal-oriented intelligence, continuously learning from their environment and adapting their strategies in real time. This autonomy enables them to proactively defend systems rather than react after an attack occurs. According to cybersecurity research, agentic AI can analyze vast amounts of data across endpoints, networks, and cloud systems to identify patterns indicative of malicious activity far faster than human analysts or traditional tools. One of the most significant ways agentic AI blocks malware development is through predictive threat modeling. By studying historical attack data and emerging threat patterns, agentic systems can anticipate how malware might evolve. This allows them to identify vulnerabilities before attackers exploit them. For instance, agentic AI can detect anomalies in code repositories or development environments that suggest malicious intent, effectively stopping malware at its creation stage rather than during execution. Another critical capability is autonomous threat detection and response. Agentic AI systems continuously monitor system behavior and network traffic, identifying deviations from normal activity. When suspicious behavior is detected—such as unauthorized access attempts or unusual data transfers—the system can automatically isolate affected components, revoke compromised credentials, and block malicious IP addresses. These actions occur in real time, significantly reducing the window of opportunity for attackers. Agentic AI also plays a vital role in disrupting cyber threat campaigns, which often involve
Apr 6, 2026 · via cybersecurity-insiders.com
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Apr 6, 2026 · via youtube.com
A major controversy has broken out involving LinkedIn, the popular professional networking site. According to an investigation named BrowserGate, the Microsoft-owned platform is allegedly using hidden code to peek at the software and tools installed on the computers of its one billion users. This study was conducted by Fairlinked e.V., a group representing businesses and professionals who use the site, which dubbed it “one of the largest corporate espionage and data breach scandals in digital history.” How the Surveillance Works LinkedIn is a platform where we use our real names and job titles. Because of this, the investigation claims the platform isn’t just tracking anonymous data but allegedly linking specific software choices back to real people and the companies they work for. According to the group’s findings, when you visit the site, a hidden script runs in the background, searching for over 6,000 different browser extensions. Fairlinked, reportedly, found that this list of monitored tools has grown massively, jumping from around 461 in 2024 to over 6000 by February 2026. Privacy and Business Concerns The report raises serious concerns about personal privacy. By scanning for certain tools, LinkedIn can allegedly figure out a person’s religious beliefs, political views, or if they are neurodivergent, a term used for people whose brains process information differently, such as those with ADHD or autism. It also allegedly tracks over 500 job-seeking tools, which could alert an employer if a staff member is quietly looking for a new role. There is also the issue of corporate espionage. The report claims LinkedIn scans for over 200 products that compete with its own services, like Lusha, Apollo, and ZoomInfo, to see which companies are using them. Some of this data is allegedly shared with HUMAN Security (an American-Israeli firm) using invisible tracking pixels (tiny images that track
Apr 6, 2026 · via hackread.com
PHOTO ABU DHABI: The UAE Cyber Security Council has warned of cyber risks associated with email fraud, stressing the importance of exercising caution regarding deceptive or fake emails used by fraudsters to breach accounts, including personal accounts, and steal financial data, which may expose individuals and institutions to hacking and data theft risks. The Council told Emirates News Agency (WAM) that more than 75 percent of cyber breaches begin with phishing emails or fraudulent messages that may contain malware, aim to steal login credentials or pave the way for identity theft, warning of the seriousness of such messages and their consequences, and noting the widespread nature of this type of fraud, which exploits a lack of awareness and proper digital behaviour among some users. The Council indicated that more than 3.4 billion phishing messages are sent daily targeting large numbers of individuals worldwide to steal personal and financial data, as well as sensitive information that may later be used to carry out cyberattacks or extortion and ransom operations. It stressed the importance of protecting personal data, noting that there are several indicators that can help identify phishing messages, including those requesting advance payments, pressuring recipients to take immediate action without thinking, requesting personal data without clear justification, offering overly attractive deals that raise suspicion, or inviting users to log in via links from unknown sources. The Council explained that messages containing spelling and grammatical errors are among the common indicators of phishing attempts that may be used to breach accounts and steal data. It advised citizens and residents to follow a number of guidelines to protect themselves from fraudulent messages, including avoiding clicking on suspicious or unknown links, refraining from scanning QR codes in public or untrusted places, and maintaining the confidentiality of personal information and login credentials without sharing
Apr 6, 2026 · via zawya.com
Gatineau university gets federal funds to build cybersecurity lab for military supply chains Tashi Farmilo When ransomware hits a manufacturer supplying parts to the Canadian Armed Forces, the consequences travel far beyond the factory floor. Ottawa announced on March 24 that it would give $3,600,000 to the Université du Québec en Outaouais to build a laboratory where defence suppliers can rehearse their responses to precisely those kinds of attacks, as the federal government works to shore up cybersecurity across military supply chains. The university will add $900,000 of its own, bringing the project to $4.5 million in total. The centrepiece will be a facility known as a "cyber range," a sealed computing environment in which ransomware attacks, industrial espionage and operations designed to cripple production can be simulated in full, with no danger to real systems. Companies that could not otherwise afford to stress-test their defences will be able to do so here, against threats of precisely the kind that have made defence supply chains an increasingly attractive target. "This project will better equip companies to deal with increasingly complex cyber threats and protect supply chains essential to our national security," said Industry Minister Mélanie Joly. The university has spent years building toward this moment. A joint research unit with the National Institute of Scientific Research, founded in 2021, gave it a foothold in cybersecurity and digital trust. Last year, it joined the Multidisciplinary Institute for Cybersecurity and Cyber Resilience, a consortium that works with governments and businesses on the hardest problems in the field. The cyber range would put that accumulated knowledge to work on a problem with direct consequences for Canadian sovereignty. Murielle Laberge, the university's rector, was precise about the ambition. The laboratory, she said, would give Canada a strategic capacity to experiment, train and innovate in
Apr 6, 2026 · via bulletinaylmer.com
Cybersecurity Leaders to Watch in California’s Software Industry California’s software industry remains one of the most influential centers of cybersecurity leadership anywhere in the world. The executives in this feature are leading security programs inside companies that shape identity, data movement, collaboration, travel, compliance, enterprise software, and cloud platforms at global scale. Their backgrounds span product security, engineering, cloud security, compliance, crisis response, privacy, identity, and large enterprise transformation. David Bradbury — Chief Security Officer, Okta David Bradbury is executive vice president and chief security officer at Okta, where he leads overall security execution for the organization and helps guide customers as they accelerate zero trust strategies. He has held the role since 2020, following senior security leadership positions at Symantec, Commonwealth Bank, NBN Co, MSCI, Barclays Capital, ABN AMRO, and IBM. His career spans global banking and enterprise technology, with experience across cyber security operations, identity and access, information risk, and large-scale security leadership. Earlier in his career, he also worked as a software engineer at eBay. Tom Conklin — Chief Information Security Officer, Fivetran Tom Conklin is chief information security officer at Fivetran, where he leads global security and compliance. His background is rooted in building and scaling security programs for SaaS companies, with experience across cloud security, privacy, compliance, and enterprise customer assurance. Before joining Fivetran in 2020, he served as chief information security officer at Druva and held senior security and compliance leadership roles at Vera Security, where he built the security program from the ground up for SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR, and Privacy Shield. Earlier roles at Zuora, Xoom, and Frank Rimerman + Co. added deep experience in audits, internal controls, disaster recovery testing, compliance certifications, and security program development. Kyle Randolph — Chief Information Security Officer and Vice President of Engineering, Verkada
Apr 6, 2026 · via securityboulevard.com
Cybersecurity Leaders to Watch in California’s Artificial Intelligence Industry California’s artificial intelligence industry includes security leaders working across frontier model development, enterprise AI platforms, data infrastructure, observability, and AI-native software products. The executives in this feature bring experience from high-growth startups, major technology companies, cloud-native environments, offensive security, incident response, compliance, and product security. Their backgrounds reflect how AI security leadership now spans not only traditional cybersecurity functions, but also the technical and operational demands of securing data pipelines, model-driven platforms, cloud environments, and fast-scaling AI businesses. Alex Levinson — Head of Security, Scale AI Alex Levinson is head of security at Scale AI, where he oversees all aspects of security for the company. His background combines technical depth across security, software, and infrastructure, along with experience in incident response, forensics, infrastructure security, DevOps, automation, offensive security, red teaming, and large-scale engineering. Before joining Scale AI in 2020, he spent nearly five years at Uber, where he was the founding engineer of the Security Response Team and later held leadership responsibilities spanning incident response, investigations, detection, detection platforms, red team, cloud security, and enterprise security. Earlier roles at Lares, Bluebox Security, Zynga, and Katana Forensics reflect a career that includes consultancy, tool development, infrastructure security, application security, and security engineering in complex technical environments. Remi Cattiau — Chief Information Security Officer, Arize AI Remi Cattiau is chief information security officer at Arize AI, where he leads security across compliance, application security, contract negotiation, cloud security, risk management, and third-party assessments. His current remit includes programs tied to PCI, HiTrust, and SOC 2, as well as penetration testing, bug bounty initiatives, and cloud security controls. Before joining Arize AI in 2021, he was chief information security officer at Nuxeo, where he achieved PCI DSS, HiTrust, and SOC 2 compliance and scaled
Apr 6, 2026 · via securityboulevard.com
Mention the word “hacker” and most people would think of a cybercriminal who’s adept at gaining unauthorised access to networks and computer systems. But like many things in life, there are in fact two sides to the coin – not all hackers bat for the “dark side”. Case in point? White hat hackers (skip to DEF CON SG to find out where they converge). Yes, this group of people hack as well, but for a different reason – to identify and rectify vulnerabilities in computer systems. They do so in a legitimate fashion too – they only hack when given permission by system owners. In other words, they hack to bolster cybersecurity. Types of hackers Generally speaking, there are three types of hackers out there. A brief history of ethical hacking A Frenchman named René Carmille is widely credited as one of the first people in history to perform ethical hacking. The hacking that he performed, however, had nothing to do with writing code. After all, this incident took place in 1940 during World War II, a time when only rudimentary punch card computers existed. According to historical records, Carmille’s form of hacking involved deliberately mishandling punch cards, thus delaying the Nazis’ attempts to track Jews using the information stored in punch card computers. In the 1960s, when computers became more advanced, the term “ethical hacking” was used to describe the act of optimising systems. Fast forward two decades, when personal computers – treasure troves of confidential records and personal information – became commonplace, the ethical hacking movement started gaining pace in tandem with the rise in numbers of black hat hackers looking to steal data. As the world became increasingly digitalised, the fight between the white and black hat hackers naturally intensified. Today, ethical hacking is widely considered a
Apr 6, 2026 · via htx.gov.sg
Microsoft announced a $10 billion investment in Japan spanning 2026 through 2029, aimed at accelerating artificial intelligence infrastructure, strengthening cybersecurity partnerships, and expanding workforce training across the country. The initiative builds on the company’s prior $2.9 billion commitment in 2024 and is structured around three pillars: technology, trust, and talent. The investment will expand in-country cloud and AI infrastructure, deepen public-private cybersecurity collaboration with national institutions, and support large-scale workforce development to meet Japan’s growing demand for AI capabilities. As part of the technology push, Microsoft will collaborate with Sakura Internet and SoftBank to provide GPU-based AI computing infrastructure within Japan. This partnership is designed to ensure that data remains domestically stored while enabling high-performance AI workloads, including robotics and large language model development. The company is also enhancing its sovereign and edge computing offerings, including expanded Azure Local capabilities and GitHub data residency in Japan, to support organizations with strict governance and security requirements. On cybersecurity, Microsoft is strengthening collaboration with Japan’s National Cybersecurity Office and National Police Agency, focusing on threat intelligence sharing, cybercrime disruption, and improving national resilience against evolving digital threats. In addition, Microsoft is launching research and talent initiatives, including a $1 million research grant program and fellowship opportunities to support AI-driven scientific advancement. The company also plans to train one million engineers, developers, and workers in Japan by 2030 through partnerships with major enterprises and industry groups. These efforts come as Japan accelerates AI adoption across its economy, with increasing use of generative AI tools among individuals and enterprises, and a projected shortage of millions of AI and robotics workers in the coming decades. KEY QUOTES “Microsoft is deeply invested in Japan, and today’s announcement will enable us to meet the country’s growing demand for cloud and AI services. We are bringing the world’s
Apr 6, 2026 · via pulse2.com