Microsoft has announced the launch of its Advancing Regional Cybersecurity (ARC) Initiative, a new effort aimed at boosting regional preparedness, resilience, and coordination in the face of increased cyber threats.
The announcement was made at the second Global Conference on Cyber Capacity Building (GC3B) held in Geneva, Switzerland.
The initiative kicks off with a flagship partnership with Kenya’s National Computer and Cybercrime Coordination Committee (NC4), a move that underscores the importance of multistakeholder collaboration in the digital era.
“In today’s digital age, no nation can tackle cyber threats alone. Our partnership with NC4 reflects Microsoft’s belief in building strong, local alliances to create sustainable cyber resilience,” said Amy Hogan-Burney – VP, Customer Security & Trust at Microsoft. “Through the ARC Initiative, we’re focused on deepening cooperation, sharing threat intelligence, and building the technical capabilities of national and regional institutions to respond effectively to cyber incidents.”
This collaboration comes at a time when digital transformation across the Global South, particularly in Africa, is accelerating rapidly, outpacing the maturity of cybersecurity infrastructure.
Over the past year alone, several high-profile incidents, including a data breach at a regional SME authority and a ransomware attack on a state-owned telecom provider, have highlighted the critical need for strengthened cyber defences.
The partnership with NC4 will begin with a series of coordinated actions designed to strengthen Kenya’s cybersecurity posture. This will include a multi-stakeholder roundtable to align on national priorities, followed by a cyber crisis simulation that will test the country’s readiness to manage large-scale threats.
Additionally, the insights gained from these engagements will inform the development of a practical cybersecurity planning toolkit that will be co-created by Microsoft and NC4, which can be used to support Kenya’s ongoing efforts and adapted by other nations across the region.
“This partnership is an important step in realizing Kenya’s national cybersecurity ambitions,” said Amy Hogan-Burney – VP, Customer Security & Trust at Microsoft. “Microsoft’s expertise and commitment to capacity-building align well with our national goals, and together, we hope to model a scalable and impactful approach that other countries can learn from.”
The ARC Initiative builds on Microsoft’s broader commitment to cybersecurity capacity building through the Accra Call, a multistakeholder pledge launched at the inaugural GC3B in Ghana in 2023.
Microsoft envisions the ARC Initiative as a flexible, repeatable model for regional cyber resilience that can be expanded across the Global South. The company is inviting other governments and institutions to explore similar collaborations tailored to their local context and capacity-building needs.
“Cybersecurity is not just a technical issue but a foundation to trust in digital services, economic stability, and national security,” Amy Hogan-Burney added. “We’re proud to stand with NC4 and look forward to working with more partners across Africa and beyond to help secure our shared digital future,” he concluded.
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