Microsoft & Meta Join Forces in Global Cybercrime Fightback

The tech industry stands at a pivotal turning point when it comes to cybersecurity.

Rising cyber threats — including those propelled by AI — mean that organisations must come together to combat malicious actors across online scams, fraud and cyber abuse, with next-generation technology, open data and unprecedented collaboration best utilised in this fight.

In light of these industry trends, Microsoft and Meta have joined The Global Signal Exchange.

What is the Global Signal Exchange (GSE)?

Launched in 2024 by Oxford Information Labs Research (OXIL), Google and the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA), the GSE was established as the world’s first multistakeholder, cross-sector clearinghouse for actionable cyber threat signals.

Its mission? To empower accredited partners to share real-time abuse intelligence, coordinate rapid response and outpace the rapidly evolving threat landscape.

André Naumann, GSE Project Lead at Google, says: “At Google, we’re committed to working collaboratively to create a safer web for our users. 

“Through the Global Signal Exchange, we’ve been sharing actionable threat signals with a wide variety of actors to quickly identify and disrupt scams and we’re delighted to see more organisations joining the effort.”

GSE houses more than 320 million unique threat signals from 32 global data providers, including Google, Spamhaus and Abusix — and now Microsoft and Meta.

Partners gain access to a real-time dashboard, monitoring emerging threats tailored to their needs, with feedback mechanisms rewarding swift action and quality data contribution.

The platform leverages Google Cloud infrastructure and powerful AI/ML models for automated detection, cluster analysis and signal enrichment, spotting patterns and anomalies at speed and scale faster than human teams.

Why Microsoft and Meta joining GSE is monumental

“Microsoft is proud to join the Global Signal Exchange, a network we see as pivotal in the global effort to combat online scams and abuse,” says Chris Compton, Director of Outreach and Governance for Central Fraud & Abuse Risk at Microsoft.

“We believe that collaboration across sectors and borders is critical to disrupting malicious activity. 

“GSE will enhance our ability to work together with our fellow members to stop bad actors worldwide. 

“Joining the Exchange marks an important step in Microsoft’s continued commitment to the safety of users everywhere.”

The tech heavyweights addition to the GSE comes as online scams and cyber fraud cause unprecedented human and economic harm worldwide. 

According to GASA’s 2024 Global State of Scams Report, global annual losses from scams have surpassed US$1.03tn — more than the UK’s government budget and exceeding the cost of eradicating world hunger. 

The problem is further compounded by the fact that only a fraction — 0.05% — of cybercrimes are prosecuted globally.

This emphasises the need for proactive prevention through technology and cooperation, rather than relying on slow-moving law enforcement actions.

Nathaniel Gleicher, Global Head of Counter Fraud at Meta, says: “Online scams are driven by ruthless cross-border criminal networks that use sophisticated schemes to abuse a wide range of platforms and target people across society.

“We need platforms, banks, governments, law enforcement, domain name systems and telecoms to work together to stop these actors and we’re committed to doing our part.

“This is why we are building on our long standing work with the Global Signal Exchange to share intelligence and help protect people from these criminals. 

“We’re also investing in technology to aggressively enforce against scams — including testing the use of facial recognition technology, while also empowering people to protect themselves with on-platform warnings and tools educating consumers on common schemes.”

Emily Taylor, Co-Founder of the GSE, adds: “We warmly welcome Microsoft and Meta to the Global Signal Exchange and we are excited by the significant contribution they will make in helping us all to change the narrative on crime, fraud and abuse. 

“The level of global support for the Global Signal Exchange signifies a step-change in the fight against online crime, as we facilitate a new culture of co-operation and data sharing.

“Scammers work together, they share and they move quickly, which means the days are long-gone when individual brands can tackle online crime alone. 

“The Global Signal Exchange marks a new chapter in the collective fight-back against online crime.”