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Pentagon to probe Microsoft’s use of Chinese engineers on sensitive defense systems, Hegseth says
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Pentagon was «looking into» a cloud computing program run by Microsoft utilizing foreign workers from China, which was criticized this week for potentially lacking adequate safeguards, which could provide the CCP easy access to classified defense data and systems.
A ProPublica report released Tuesday accused Microsoft of allowing China-based engineers to assist with Pentagon cloud systems with inadequate guardrails in an effort to scale up its government contracting business.
In response, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., sent a letter to Hegseth Thursday asking for information and documents about the program, including a list of all Department of Defense (DOD) contractors that hire Chinese personnel to provide maintenance or other services to DOD systems, a list of subcontractors that hire Microsoft’s American-born «digital escorts» required to supervise foreign computer scientists while they work on DOD systems and documents on the training these supervisors receive to identify suspicious activity. The Republican senator requested answers to his questions by the end of the month.
«In light of recent and concerning reports about Microsoft using engineers in China to maintain DOD systems, I’ve asked the Secretary of Defense to look into the matter,» Cotton said in a post on X sharing his letter to Hegseth. «We must guard against all threats within our military’s supply chain.»
TEMU SUED BY KENTUCKY FOR ALLEGEDLY GIVING CHINA ‘UNFETTERED’ ACCESS TO USER DATA
A cyber review board mandated by President Biden issued a scathing report on Microsoft over a 2023 hack. (Getty Images)
A few hours after Cotton’s X post, Hegseth responded, «Spot on senator.»
«Agree fully,» Hegseth said in his own X post responding to Cotton. «Our team is already looking into this ASAP. Foreign engineers — from any country, including of course China — should NEVER be allowed to maintain or access DOD systems.»
The ProPublica report cited current and former employees and government contractors who worked on a cloud computing program deployed by Microsoft in 2016, which involved a «digital escort» framework. The program, meant to meet federal contracting regulations, used a system of «digital escort» chaperones for global cybersecurity officials, such as those based in China, meant to create a security buffer so that they can work on agency computing systems. DOD guidelines require that people handling sensitive data be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
HEGSETH ABRUPTLY PULLS PENTAGON OFFICIALS FROM ‘GLOBALIST’ ASPEN CONFERENCE
According to sources who spoke to ProPublica, including some who had intimate familiarity with the hiring process for the $18-per-hour «digital escort» position, the tech employees being hired to do the supervising lacked the adequate tech expertise to prevent a rogue Chinese employee from hacking the system or turning over classified information to the CCP.
The sources elaborated that the escorts, often former military personnel, were hired for their security clearances more than their technical abilities and often lacked the skills to evaluate code being used by the engineers they were supervising.
In China, people are governed by sweeping laws compelling government cooperation with data collection efforts.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Friday the Pentagon was «looking into» concerns Microsoft was operating a program that works on classified defense systems with the help of Chinese computer engineers. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft; Philip Fong/AFP via Getty Images; Omar Havana/Getty Images)
«If ProPublica’s report turns out to be true, Microsoft has created a national embarrassment that endangers our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines. Heads should roll, those responsible should go to prison and Congress should hold extensive investigations to uncover the full extent of potential compromise,» said Michael Lucci. Lucci is the CEO and founder of State Armor Action, a conservative group with a mission to develop and enact state-level solutions to global security threats.
«Microsoft or any vendor providing China with access to Pentagon secrets verges on treasonous behavior and should be treated as such,» Lucci added.
KAINE QUESTIONS WALTZ ON HEGSETH’S ROLE IN SIGNALGATE DURING UN AMBASSADOR CONFIRMATION HEARING
A Black Hawk Army helicopter carrying reporters lands at the Pentagon after a demonstration of future combat systems for Army Secretary Francis Harvey, Army Chief of Staff General Peter Schoomaker and the media at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. (Scott J. Ferrell/Congressional Quarterly/Getty Images)
A Microsoft spokesperson defended the company’s «digital escort» model Tuesday, saying all personnel and contractors with privileged access must pass federally approved background checks.
«For some technical requests, Microsoft engages our team of global subject-matter experts to provide support through authorized U.S. personnel, consistent with U.S. government requirements and processes,» the spokesperson added. «In these instances, global support personnel have no direct access to customer data or customer systems.»
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The Defense Information Systems Agency’s (DISA) public information office was initially unaware of the program when ProPublica began asking questions about it, but it eventually followed up to point out that «digital escorts» are used «in select unclassified environments» at the Defense Department for «advanced problem diagnosis and resolution from industry subject-matter experts.»
Meanwhile, on Friday, Microsoft Chief Communications Officer, Frank Shaw, said that in response to recent concerns over the program, Microsoft is choosing to make some changes.
«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,» Shaw said in a statement to Fox News Digital. «We remain committed to providing the most secure services possible to the US government, including working with our national security partners to evaluate and adjust our security protocols as needed.»
INTERNACIONAL
En una importante muestra de apoyo, Carlos III recibe a Zelenski con honores de Estado en Windsor
Honores militares
El Mayor Ben Tracey, capitán de la Guardia de Honor, junto al rey y el presidente ucraniano. Foto: Reuters
El Rey apoya abiertamente a Ucrania frente a la invasión rusa. Foto: APUn defensor de Ucrania
Después de la humillación de Trump
Toda la familia real involucrada
La Cumbre de Buena Voluntad
Starmer recibe a Zelenski en Londres. Foto: AP
Sen. Lankford proposes bill to avoid government shutdowns
Fox News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram and Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., join ‘The Faulkner Focus’ to discuss the failed vote to pay federal workers amid the government shutdown as they enter their first week without pay.
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Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has canceled votes in the House of Representatives for a fourth straight week as the government shutdown shows no signs of ending.
Johnson’s move is a part of his continued pressure strategy on Senate Democrats and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who have sunk the GOP’s federal funding plan 12 times since Sept. 19, when the House passed the measure.
Sept. 19 was also the last day the House was in session, meaning lawmakers have been largely in their home districts for over a month.
Republicans are pushing a short-term extension of fiscal year (FY) 2025 spending levels through Nov. 21 — called a continuing resolution (CR) — aimed at giving congressional negotiators time to strike a longer-term deal for FY2026.
SCREAMING MATCH ERUPTS BETWEEN HAKEEM JEFFRIES, MIKE LAWLER AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CHAOS CONTINUES
House Speaker Mike Johnson, right, is canceling House votes to pressure Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, left, for refusing to agree to a GOP-led plan to avert a government shutdown. (Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
Democrats, furious at being sidelined in federal funding discussions, have been withholding their support for any spending bill that does not also extend COVID-19 pandemic-era enhanced Obamacare subsidies that are due to expire at the end of this year.
Johnson’s decision was made public on Friday afternoon during a brief pro forma session in the House. Under rules dictated by the Constitution, the chamber must meet for brief periods every few days called «pro forma» sessions to ensure continuity, even if there are no formal legislative matters at hand.
Pro forma sessions can also be opportunities for lawmakers to give brief speeches or introduce legislation that they otherwise would not have.
Democrats have criticized Johnson’s decision, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., telling reporters that House Republicans have been «on vacation for the last four weeks.»
The government is in a shutdown after Congress failed to reach an agreement on federal funding. (Getty Images)
Republicans, however, have largely stayed united behind Johnson as the shutdown continues.
«I mean, if all of a sudden the Senate wants to pass a clean CR, I would imagine there are some options on the table that we can pursue to get things back on track,» said Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb., who presided over the House chamber on Friday.
«I would defer, ultimately, to [leadership’s] decisions for the schedule. But right now, I don’t see any sign that we need to change what has been on the counter.»
But there have been several notable defections. Both Reps. Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., and Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., have made their criticism of Johnson’s strategy known publicly for weeks.
«I believe very strongly that it’s the wrong decision,» Kiley told MSNBC earlier this week, adding House lawmakers were not «doing all the things we’re supposed to be doing» aside from figuring out how to end the shutdown.
BATTLEGROUND REPUBLICANS HOLD THE LINE AS JOHNSON PRESSURES DEMS ON SHUTDOWN
Rep. Kevin Kiley, seen in August 2023, has been critical of Johnson’s shutdown strategy. (Scott Strazzante-Pool/Getty Images)
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Multiple House lawmakers have also raised concerns about being out of session on private weekly calls that Johnson holds with members of the GOP conference.
Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, was the most recent House Republican to suggest the GOP could be in a stronger position if they were back in Washington, Fox News Digital was told.
«I think the longer that we are out, the messaging is starting to get old,» Van Duyne told fellow House Republicans on their Tuesday call.
house of representatives politics,mike johnson,politics,chuck schumer
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The Trump administration has ordered the deployment of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group in the Western Hemisphere as the U.S. continues to target suspected drug smuggling vessels in the Caribbean.
«In support of the President’s directive to dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) and counter narco-terrorism in defense of the Homeland, the Secretary of War has directed the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group and embarked carrier air wing to the U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) area of responsibility (AOR),» chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement Friday.
«The enhanced U.S. force presence in the USSOUTHCOM AOR will bolster U.S. capacity to detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit actors and activities that compromise the safety and prosperity of the United States homeland and our security in the Western Hemisphere,» he added. «These forces will enhance and augment existing capabilities to disrupt narcotics trafficking and degrade and dismantle TCOs.»
The Trump administration has ordered a number of strikes in the Caribbean aimed at dismatling and disrupting drug cartels in the region.
Most recently, War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Thursday that a strike on a vessel allegedly operated by members of Tren de Aragua (TdA), a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO), killed six alleged narco-terrorists.
This story is breaking. Please check back for updates.
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