President Brad Smith answered questions regarding Microsoft’s security protocols and ties to China a year after suspected Chinese hackers broke into the business to eavesdrop on government communications.
A year after suspected hackers with ties to China hacked the company in order to snoop on government communications, President Brad Smith addressed inquiries over the tech giant’s security procedures and connections to China on Thursday at a House homeland security subcommittee. According to Microsoft’s admissions, hackers gained access to 60,000 emails from the U.S. State Department by breaching the company’s networks last summer. This year, cybercriminals with ties to Russia also surveilled Microsoft’s top staff emails.
The congressional hearing takes place in the midst of a heightened federal investigation of Microsoft, the largest software company in the world and a major supplier to the US government and national security apparatus. According to Smith during the hearing, Microsoft’s business makes up around 3% of the federal IT budget in the United States. Congress grilled Microsoft for failing to stop the Chinese and Russian hacks, which they claimed endangered government networks even if less advanced techniques were not used.
Russian hackers obtained emails from the corporation that “included correspondence with government officials,” Democratic congresswoman Bennie Thompson claimed. “Microsoft is one of the federal government’s most important technology and security partners, but we cannot afford to allow the importance of that relationship to enable complacency or interfere with our oversight,” he stated. The Cyber Safety Review Board (CSRB), a panel of specialists assembled by U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, released a damning report in April that lawmakers used as support. The report blasted Microsoft for its lack of transparency on the China attack and called it preventable.
During the hearing, Smith stated, “We acknowledge full responsibility for all the findings in the CSRB report. Microsoft has started implementing most of the recommendations in the report.” “We’re dealing with formidable foes in China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran, and they’re getting better,” stated Smith. “They’re getting more aggressive. They’re waging attacks at an extraordinary rate.” Thompson chastised Smith’s employer for not identifying the hack, which the US State Department ultimately found. In response, Smith stated, “That’s how it ought to operate. In an ecosystem, no single entity can observe everything.”
Congressman Thompson, though, was unconvinced. “We’re not supposed to track down the offenders. We’re paying you for it, Thompson said. Since Microsoft had made significant investments in creating research incentives in China, panel members also pressed Smith for information about the company’s operations there. “There are a variety of intricate difficulties and hazards associated with Microsoft’s presence in China,” stated Mississippi Congressman Mark Green, who served as the panel’s chair.
Also read: Unveiling the Ethical Imperatives: Navigating the Intersection of AI and Cybersecurity
Do Follow: CIO News LinkedIn Account | CIO News Facebook | CIO News Youtube | CIO News Twitter
About us:
CIO News is the premier platform dedicated to delivering the latest news, updates, and insights from the CIO industry. As a trusted source in the technology and IT sector, we provide a comprehensive resource for executives and professionals seeking to stay informed and ahead of the curve. With a focus on cutting-edge developments and trends, CIO News serves as your go-to destination for staying abreast of the rapidly evolving landscape of technology and IT. Founded in June 2020, CIO News has rapidly evolved with ambitious growth plans to expand globally, targeting markets in the Middle East & Africa, ASEAN, USA, and the UK.
CIO News is a proprietary of Mercadeo Multiventures Pvt Ltd.
