Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson From Silos to Solutions: Building Trust Through Transparent Cybersecurity Communications with Microsoft's Frank Shaw
Oct 14, 2025
Frank X. Shaw, Chief Communications Officer at Microsoft, provides a fascinating look at the intersection of communication and cybersecurity. He emphasizes the vital role of transparency and trust during cyber incidents. Frank discusses how breaking down silos enhances collaboration and the transformative impact of AI on crisis communications. He also shares strategies for combating misinformation and the importance of internal communication in fostering a culture of security awareness. Ultimately, he advocates for learning from failures as essential for growth in cyber resilience.
AI Snips
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Transcript
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Transparency Bridges Tech And Perception
- Communicate security clearly to bridge technical reality and human perception so people take the right actions.
- Be transparent during and after incidents to show what happened, what was learned, and next steps.
Close Internal Gaps Fast
- Build tight internal networks across engineering, customer, and communications to avoid information gaps during incidents.
- Share decisions internally quickly so teams can move in unison and communicate externally with confidence.
Share Failures To Improve Industry Defenses
- Industry-wide transparency accelerates collective learning from incidents and improves defenses.
- Hiding breaches prevents others from learning and weakens the overall ecosystem.