US tech firms pledge to strengthen cybersecurity with billions in investment after meeting with Biden

Amazon, Apple, Google, IBM and Microsoft pledged new investments, training and programs to help improve cybersecurity

The meeting with the US president came after a stretch of several ransomware attacks targeting critical infrastructure and major companies

Reading Time:2 minutes

Apple CEO Tim Cook, from left, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna, and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai meet in the East Room of the White House on August 25 to discuss improving cybersecurity with US President Joe Biden. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 10:12am, 26 Aug 2021Updated: 10:14am, 26 Aug 2021

Some of the country’s leading technology companies have committed to investing billions of dollars to strengthen cybersecurity defences and to train skilled workers, the White House announced Wednesday following President Joe Biden’s private meeting with top executives.

The Washington gathering was held during a relentless stretch of ransomware attacks that have targeted critical infrastructure and major corporations, as well as other illicit cyber operations that US authorities have linked to foreign hackers.

The Biden administration has been urging the private sector to do its part to protect against those increasingly sophisticated attacks. In public remarks before the meeting, Biden referred to cybersecurity as a “core national security challenge” for the US.

“The reality is most of our critical infrastructure is owned and operated by the private sector, and the federal government cannot meet this challenge alone,” Biden said. “I’ve invited you all here today because you have the power, the capacity and the responsibility, I believe, to raise the bar on cybersecurity.”

After the meeting, the White House announced that Google had committed to invest US$10 billion in cybersecurity over the next five years, money aimed at helping secure the software supply chain and expand zero-trust programs. The Biden administration has looked for ways to safeguard the government’s supply chain following a massive Russian government cyberespionage campaign that exploited vulnerabilities and gave hackers access to the networks of US government agencies and private companies.

Microsoft, meanwhile, said it would invest US$20 billion in cybersecurity over the next five years and make available US$150 million in technical services to help local governments upgrade their defences. IBM plans to train 150,000 people in cybersecurity over three years, Apple said it would develop a new program to help strengthen the technology supply chain, and Amazon said it would offer to the public the same security awareness training it gives to employees.

Top executives of each of those companies were invited to Wednesday’s meeting, as were financial industry executives and representatives from the energy, education and insurance sectors. A government initiative that at first supported the cybersecurity defences of electric utilities has now been expanded to focus on natural gas pipelines, the White House said Wednesday.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x