U.S. Senator Tom Cotton seeks Defense Department clarification regarding Microsoft’s use of Chinese engineers for military cloud system development.
Through a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth the Arkansas Republican expressed his concerns about Microsoft subcontractors who employed Chinese engineers because it could create cybersecurity risks. The ProPublica investigation revealed that U.S. personnel with security clearances supervised Chinese engineers who worked on the project yet some of these workers lacked sufficient technical skills to identify malicious activities.
Cotton who leads the Senate’s intelligence committee requested the Pentagon to reveal all military contractors who use Chinese laborers and to explain their digital escort vetting and training procedures.
Microsoft operates as a major U.S. government contractor yet the company refused to provide any statements. The company stated it revealed its procedures during the defense authorization process. The Pentagon failed to provide an immediate response to the inquiry.
The U.S. government identifies China’s cyber capabilities as one of the most dangerous threats to national security according to Cotton in his letter. The military supply chain needs protection from all internal threats.
The letter increases federal agency scrutiny of supply chain weaknesses because China’s technological and defense infrastructure tensions continue to rise.
