The Security Cooperation Program (SCP) will aim to help governments address threats to national security, economic strength and public safety more efficiently and effectively through cooperative projects and information sharing.
As participants, Canada, Chile, Norway and the US will work with Microsoft in exchanging information and advice in order to improve responses to the effects of IT security attacks. The computer company will provide information about security problems and software updates, which the government hopes will facilitate resource planning and deployment.
In addition to information exchange, the SCP will provide opportunities for Microsoft to participate in projects identified by the government agencies, such as consumer outreach and education activities and computer incident response processes, including joint response in the event of an emergency.
Safeguarding IT security is a daunting job for any organization, but for a national government it’s an especially formidable task, said Cristian Pena Arenas, chief technology officer for the government of Chile. Partnerships between the private and public sector on programs like this Security Cooperation Program can contribute to better preparation and innovative solutions to address our unique challenges.
Microsoft views the SCP as a program that will help strengthen its approach to providing the technology and services that help enable secure government computing environments. Microsoft has already established the Government Security Program (GSP), which provides national governments with controlled access to Microsoft Windows and Office source code, and other technical information that will help eliminate security worries.
The SCP initiative also builds on the security mobilization effort as part of Microsoft’s Trustworthy Computing Initiative, and Microsoft claims that about 39 national governments will sign up.
