As energy companies embrace AI and digital transformation, cybersecurity is essential to protecting critical physical and IT systems. Microsoft’s Secure Future Initiative (SFI) embeds secure-by-design, secure-by-default, and secure-operations principles across product development, deployment, and operations— mobilizing thousands of engineers to strengthen identity protections and accelerate vulnerability remediation at scale. Complementing these efforts, AI-powered tools like Microsoft Sentinel and Security Copilot analyze trillions of threat signals, deliver contextual insights, and automate remediation to counter sophisticated attacks, including those using generative AI. Together, SFI and AI-driven security capabilities provide the resilience energy companies need to innovate confidently without compromising critical infrastructure. Unlocking real-time value with a unified data platform Microsoft Fabric and Azure Arc create a unified enterprise data foundation that simplifies the integration and scaling of AI across cloud, edge, and on-prem environments. Fabric consolidates data into an open lake for analytics and AI readiness, while Azure Arc extends governance, security and policy wherever data resides. Together, they unlock real-time edge-to-cloud intelligence for faster, smarter decisions. Chevron’s Facilities of the Future initiative demonstrates this— using Azure IoT Operations to enable remote operations, streamline performance monitoring, anomaly detection, and proactive response to changing conditions.18 Transforming energy workflows with open data standards Azure Data Manager for Energy is a fully managed, enterprise-grade platform service aligned with the OSDU® Technical Standard— replacing custom integrations with standardized data products and protocols for secure, scalable, and interoperable data management and workflows. Combined with Microsoft Fabric and Microsoft OneLake, it makes data accessible and AI-ready, automating interpretation and insights. Energy companies are accelerating ingestion to insight, decision-making, and innovation in areas such as carbon capture and storage, reservoir modelling, and operational planning, driving faster time to value.19 Building a trusted foundation for energy innovation and resilience Cybersecurity and data quality rank higher than cost as greatest barriers to AI adoption Figure 6 Biggest Barrier to AI Adoption Cybersecurity risks 49% Data quality and consistency 45% Cost of implementation 40% Lack of skilled talent 39% Regulatory risk 35% Lost of human oversight 32% Reputional risk 14% 2025 SURVEY INSIGHT 18 Chevron plans facilities of the future with Azure IoT Operations, https://www.microsoft.com/en/customers/story/22849-chevron-iot-operations 19 Azure Data Manager for Energy, https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/products/data-manager-for-energy 33 Powering Possible 2025