As Microsoft’s Director of Cybersecurity Policy for Europe/Middle East/Africa, Jan Neutze is on the forefront of the security challenges of our time.

“All across the world, hundreds of thousands of Internet users are exposed to cyber threats on a daily basis. The vast majority of these are mitigated before they can cause any damage, thanks to advanced cyber defenses deployed by technology companies, such as Microsoft’s,” he says.

In the course of his work, Mr. Neutze focuses on protecting the region’s critical infrastructure, understanding big data and the Internet-of-Things, supporting cloud security and data security, creating cybersecurity norms of behavior, addressing internet governance and more.

At the same time, he emphasizes that a global perspective is needed to counter threats. “The digital world is borderless; efforts to harmonize cybersecurity should be too.”

Mr. Neutze came to Microsoft from the United Nations Headquarters where he served for three years in the policy planning staff of the UN Secretary-General and the Department of Political Affairs, leading cybersecurity and counterterrorism projects. Prior to his work at the UN, he managed a range of transatlantic security policy projects at the German Marshall Fund of the United States and the Atlantic Council of the United States.

Mr. Neutze received his Master of Arts in Security Studies from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in 2005. He also holds a J.D. from the University of Muenster, Germany.Born in Germany, he now lives in Brussels.