AI Reshaping Security Sector: Microsoft Replaces 9 Executives, Lays Off Hundreds

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Microsoft has reportedly carried out a major organizational restructuring, including the mass dismissal of executives, as part of efforts to improve its readiness against AI-driven hacking.

Charlie Bell, Microsoft's Executive Vice President (EVP) of Security, has replaced at least nine Corporate Vice President (CVP)-level executives over the five months since taking office in February, the U.S. IT news outlet The Information reported on July 15 (local time), citing multiple sources.

CVP is an executive rank equivalent to a managing director in the Korean corporate hierarchy.

Bell has also implemented organizational changes, such as expanding teams focused on developing AI security products while downsizing traditional security divisions.

In the process, Microsoft also carried out layoffs, cutting hundreds of jobs from its security department of approximately 10,000 employees.

In a memo posted on the company's internal network that day, Bell emphasized the need for personnel reform, stating, "The last few months have not been easy," but adding, "In times like these, we need clarity, conviction, and focus."

He offered an optimistic outlook, noting, "The entire industry is being fundamentally reshaped," and that "Microsoft is in an advantageous position to achieve results through the AI boom."

In fact, Microsoft has achieved unprecedented results by applying AI to the security sector.

In a regular update released on July 14, Microsoft applied patches to resolve 570 security flaws across its entire product line, including Windows and Office.

This is considered the largest scale in the history of Microsoft security updates.

The AI security automation tool MDASH, led by Bell, has also been deployed, with assessments indicating that the speed of identifying vulnerabilities has increased exponentially.

In the cybersecurity industry, more companies are adopting different policies following the emergence of high-end AI models capable of expert-level vulnerability detection.

Apple has also decided to revise its policy to increase the frequency and shorten the cycle of security updates, departing from its previous practice of releasing them alongside other software revisions.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)

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