Chinese Engineers Likely Gain Access to Critical Pentagon Data
According to webangah News Agency, citing Reuters, Microsoft announced it will halt the use of Chinese engineers after a report by investigative news outlet ProPublica raised questions from U.S. Senator Tom Cotton. This prompted Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to order a two-week review of Pentagon contracts.
The report detailed Microsoft’s reliance on Chinese engineers working on U.S. military cloud computing systems through subcontractors who hold security clearances but often lack the technical expertise to assess whether these engineers pose a cybersecurity threat.
Microsoft,one of the U.S. government’s main contractors, acknowledged that its systems had been targeted by hackers from China and Russia. The company told ProPublica that it disclosed its procedures to the U.S. government during its clearance process.
Yesterday, Microsoft spokesperson Frank Shaw said the company has changed how it supports U.S. government clients in response to concerns raised earlier this week (local time). Shaw emphasized that no engineering teams based in China now provide technical support for services used by the Pentagon.
Earlier on Friday,Republican Senator Tom Cotton from Arkansas-chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and member of the Armed Services Committee-sent a letter to Defense secretary Pete Hegseth regarding Microsoft’s reported practices.
The senator also requested a list from the U.S. military detailing contractors employing Chinese personnel.
In a video statement, Secretary Hegseth announced he is initiating a two-week investigation to ensure no China-based engineers are working on any other cloud service contracts throughout the Pentagon.
