Microsoft President: Government needs to 'do more' on cyber security

Microsoft is highlighting its list of top tech issues troubling businesses and the government in 2018 at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Microsoft President Brad Smith, on Wednesday, said cyber security is the top concern.

"I think every time we talk to customers, especially in the world of business, it is so often their No. 1 concern," he told the FOX Business' Maria Bartiromo on "Mornings with Maria."

Smith added that while it's a shared responsibility with consumers, the government needs "to do more."

Smith said consumers and businesses can keep machines up to date, apply patches and "apply common sense," in order to combat cyber threats.

"If you see an email that comes in from somebody you don't know that asks you to click a link and provide your password, don't do that," he said.

But when it comes to the government, Smith said things are a little more sophisticated.

"We are seeing governments pour more money into nation state attacks. This is where I think we need governments themselves to engage in addressing this new level," he said.

Smith pointed out that the government needs to lay out specific rules, prohibiting attacks on civilians, hospitals and the electrical grid.

"We need governments to come together and say it needs to be off-limits," he said. "If we can't get governments to do that, it's a very difficult task for the tech sector to make up for the difference."


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