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Microsoft Says It Has Stopped Using China-Based Engineers to Support Defense Department Computer Systems (www.propublica.org)
submitted 1 year ago by to c/politics@sh.itjust.works
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“In response to concerns raised earlier this week about US-supervised foreign engineers, Microsoft has made changes to our support for US Government customers to assure that no China-based engineering teams are providing technical assistance for DoD Government cloud and related services,” the company’s chief communications officer, Frank Shaw, announced on X Friday afternoon.

Microsoft’s announcement came hours after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said his agency would look into Microsoft’s use of foreign-based engineers to help maintain the highly sensitive cloud systems.

“Foreign engineers — from any country, including of course China — should NEVER be allowed to maintain or access DoD systems,” Hegseth wrote in a post on X Friday.

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[–] [S] 1 point 1 year ago

wtf is going on? Hegseth announces shit on X and then Microsoft responds?

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    8 comments in c/technology@lemmy.world view that post
    [–] 1 point 1 year ago

    It will just get Chinese engineers H1-B visas and bring them to America instead. Problem solved.

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    [–] 41 points 1 year ago

    Great. Next can we stop using Microsoft for defense department computer systems?

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    [–] 32 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    I never would never have expected them to be using China based engis on defence systems thats wild. No wonder they got cooked by salt typhoon.

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    • [–] 11 points 1 year ago

    Outsourcing your Defense Department to a foreign country is a choice. Not a smart choice, but a choice nonetheless.

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    [–] 7 points 1 year ago

    What Microsoft did was absolutely inexcusable.

    But, really, not just for this alone.

    As for the DoD enlisting Microsoft, given the latter's decades-spanning horrible reputation, I don't know what to say.

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    [–] 3 points 1 year ago

    Um thanks

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    2 comments in c/technology@lemmy.world view that post
    [–] 14 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    stopped

    Curious how they got around normal ITAR restrictions, or if they just didn't give a fuck before.

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  • [–] 7 points 1 year ago

    I'm willing to bet it's option B. Bet someone in management decided it would be best to cheap the fuck out now and then beg forgiveness later, and sell it as increasing security, than ask permission from the beginning.

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