CrowdStrike and Microsoft Join Forces to Streamline Cyber Threat Attribution and Strengthen Global Cyberdefense
In a landmark move for the cybersecurity industry, CrowdStrike (NASDAQ: CRWD) and Microsoft have announced a groundbreaking collaboration aimed at harmonizing how cyber threat actors are identified and tracked across security vendors. By mapping adversary aliases and aligning attribution frameworks across platforms, this partnership seeks to eliminate confusion caused by inconsistent naming conventions and empower cyber defenders to respond faster and more effectively to sophisticated threats.
The cybersecurity landscape has long been plagued by fragmented naming systems for threat actors. Each vendor develops its own taxonomy based on unique intelligence sources, analytic methodologies, and operational perspectives. While these systems provide valuable context about adversaries—such as their motivations, tactics, and targets—they also create significant challenges for cross-vendor coordination. As the threat landscape expands, the complexity of correlating information across different platforms grows exponentially, slowing down response times and complicating efforts to disrupt malicious activity.
To address this issue, CrowdStrike and Microsoft have developed a shared mapping system—a “Rosetta Stone” for cyber threat intelligence—that links adversary identifiers across vendor ecosystems without imposing a single, universal naming standard. This innovative approach reduces ambiguity in how adversaries are labeled, enabling defenders to make faster, more confident decisions, correlate threat intelligence from multiple sources, and proactively disrupt threat actor activity before it causes harm.
For example, connecting disparate naming conventions like COZY BEAR and Midnight Blizzard—or Secret Blizzard and VENOMOUS BEAR—allows defenders to quickly identify and respond to the same threat actor, regardless of the platform or intelligence source they rely on. This unified approach not only accelerates decision-making but also fosters a more cohesive and coordinated global cyberdefense strategy.
“This is a watershed moment for cybersecurity,” said Adam Meyers, Head of Counter Adversary Operations at CrowdStrike. “Adversaries thrive on both technological vulnerabilities and the confusion created by inconsistent naming. As defenders, it’s our responsibility to stay ahead of them and provide security teams with clarity on who is targeting them and how to respond. This has been CrowdStrike’s mission since day one. By combining CrowdStrike’s leadership in adversary intelligence with Microsoft’s unparalleled data on adversary behavior, we’re delivering clarity, speed, and confidence to defenders everywhere.”
The collaboration begins with a joint analyst-led effort to harmonize adversary naming between CrowdStrike and Microsoft’s threat research teams. Already, the companies have successfully deconflicted more than 80 adversaries, demonstrating the real-world value of shared attribution. For instance, they validated that Microsoft’s Volt Typhoon and CrowdStrike’s VANGUARD PANDA refer to the same Chinese state-sponsored threat actor, while Secret Blizzard and VENOMOUS BEAR both describe a Russian-nexus adversary. These insights underscore the importance of aligning intelligence to enhance situational awareness and accelerate response times.
Looking ahead, CrowdStrike and Microsoft plan to expand this effort by inviting other industry partners to contribute to and maintain a shared threat actor mapping resource for the global cybersecurity community. This initiative reflects a broader commitment to fostering collaboration and transparency within the industry, ensuring that defenders worldwide can benefit from actionable, unified threat intelligence.
“Cybersecurity is one of the defining challenges of our time, especially in today’s AI-driven era,” said Vasu Jakkal, Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Security. “Microsoft and CrowdStrike are uniquely positioned to help our customers and the wider defender community unlock the full potential of actionable threat intelligence. Security is a team sport, and when defenders can share and react to information faster, it makes a tangible difference in how we protect the world.”
This collaboration builds on the deep histories of both companies as leaders in threat intelligence. CrowdStrike’s expertise in adversary tracking and behavioral analysis complements Microsoft’s extensive visibility into global cyber threats, creating a powerful alliance that prioritizes customer outcomes over market competition. Together, they are advancing a shared mission: empowering defenders with the tools and insights needed to stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated adversaries.
Why This Collaboration Matters
The stakes for effective cyber defense have never been higher. With cyberattacks growing in frequency, scale, and sophistication, organizations need every possible advantage to protect their assets and operations. Inconsistent naming conventions and fragmented intelligence have historically hindered defenders’ ability to act decisively. By bridging these gaps, CrowdStrike and Microsoft are setting a new standard for collaboration in the cybersecurity industry—one that prioritizes clarity, speed, and collective action.
The shared mapping system not only benefits individual organizations but also strengthens global cyberdefense efforts. By enabling defenders to correlate threat intelligence across platforms and respond more efficiently, this initiative helps reduce the overall impact of cyberattacks. Moreover, it lays the groundwork for future innovations in threat intelligence sharing, paving the way for even greater collaboration among vendors, governments, and private-sector stakeholders.
A Unified Front Against Cyber Threats
As cybercriminals and nation-state actors continue to exploit vulnerabilities in technology and processes, the need for a unified front has never been more urgent. CrowdStrike and Microsoft’s collaboration represents a critical step toward achieving that unity. By aligning adversary attribution and streamlining threat intelligence, they are equipping defenders with the clarity and confidence needed to confront today’s most sophisticated threats—and prepare for those yet to emerge.
In an era where cybersecurity is a shared responsibility, initiatives like this remind us that progress is possible when industry leaders come together to prioritize the mission over the market. The result? A stronger, more resilient global cyber ecosystem capable of defending against the challenges of tomorrow.
