Latest news with #FrankShaw
Asharq Al-Awsat
4 days ago
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Microsoft Halts China-based Tech Support for Pentagon Systems
Microsoft said Friday it is making sure that personnel based in China are not providing technical support for US Defense Department systems, after investigative news site ProPublica revealed the practice earlier this week. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth confirmed that work on Defense Department cloud services had been outsourced to people in China, insisting that the country will not have "any involvement whatsoever" with the department's systems going forward. "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, said in a post on X. ProPublica reported Tuesday that the tech giant was using engineers based in China -- Washington's primary military rival -- to maintain Pentagon computer systems, with only limited supervision by US personnel who often lacked the necessary expertise to do the job effectively. US Senator Tom Cotton asked Hegseth to look into the matter in a letter dated Thursday, and the Pentagon chief responded that he would do so. Hegseth then posted a video on X Friday evening in which he said "it turns out that some tech companies have been using cheap Chinese labor to assist with DoD cloud services. This is obviously unacceptable, especially in today's digital threat environment." "At my direction, the department will... initiate -- as fast as we can -- a two-week review, or faster, to make sure that what we uncovered isn't happening anywhere else across the DoD," AFP quoted him as saying. "We will continue to monitor and counter all threats to our military infrastructure and online networks," he added, thanking "all those Americans out there in the media and elsewhere who raised this issue to our attention so we could address it."
India Today
5 days ago
- Business
- India Today
Microsoft stops using Chinese tech support for this customer over national security concerns
Microsoft has announced a major policy shift, cutting off technical support from its China-based engineering teams for US defence clients using its cloud services. The move comes just days after an explosive ProPublica investigation revealed how the US Department of Defence (DoD) relied on Microsoft software engineers located in China, a situation that sparked concerns over national security and cyber a statement posted to X on Friday, Frank Shaw, Microsoft's Chief Communications Officer, confirmed the change: '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 policy revision directly impacts Microsoft Azure, the company's cloud services division, which now accounts for over 25 per cent of Microsoft's global revenue, larger than Google Cloud but still behind Amazon Web Services. The company's most recent earnings report noted that more than half of its $70 billion in Q1 revenue was generated from US-based clients, with a substantial chunk tied to government isn't the first time Microsoft's cloud involvement with the US military has drawn scrutiny. Back in 2019, the company secured a $10 billion cloud contract with the Pentagon, only for it to be cancelled in 2021 after legal disputes. By 2022, Microsoft was again one of the chosen vendors in a $9 billion multi-supplier defence cloud deal alongside Amazon, Google, and ProPublica report, which prompted the recent policy overhaul, revealed that Chinese Azure engineers were managed remotely by US-based supervisors known as 'digital escorts', individuals who reportedly had less technical knowledge than the staff they were overseeing. According to the report, this system could leave critical US defence infrastructure vulnerable to foreign Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth didn't mince words in response. 'This is obviously unacceptable, especially in today's digital threat environment,' he said in a video posted on X. Hegseth criticised the structure as 'a legacy system created over a decade ago, during the Obama administration,' and confirmed the Department of Defence would review its infrastructure for similar on DOD's cloud services Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (@SecDef) July 18, 2025While Microsoft initially defended its operations, claiming that its teams followed US regulations, it has since promised to undergo further scrutiny and cooperate with national security partners. '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,' Shaw incident highlights the growing tension between global tech operations and national security expectations, a balancing act that's becoming increasingly difficult in today's high-stakes cyber environment.- Ends
See - Sada Elbalad
6 days ago
- Business
- See - Sada Elbalad
Microsoft Bans Chinese Engineers from Pentagon Cloud Operations
Taarek Refaat Microsoft announced on Friday that it has revised its internal practices to stop engineers based in China from providing technical support to U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) cloud clients, according to CNBC. The change comes in response to growing concerns about national security and cybersecurity threats posed by foreign-based personnel working on sensitive U.S. government cloud infrastructure. The announcement follows a detailed report by ProPublica earlier this week revealing the extent of the Pentagon's reliance on Chinese-based Microsoft engineers, particularly those supporting the company's Azure cloud services. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Microsoft's Chief Communications Officer Frank Shaw wrote: 'In response to concerns raised earlier this week regarding foreign engineers under U.S. supervision, Microsoft has made changes to our support for U.S. government clients to ensure that no engineering teams based in China are providing technical support for the Department of Defense cloud or related services.' In 2019, Microsoft secured a $10 billion cloud contract with the Pentagon, although it was canceled in 2021 following legal disputes. A year later, the DoD awarded a combined $9 billion in cloud contracts to Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and Oracle. According to ProPublica, Chinese Microsoft engineers working on Azure were under the supervision of U.S.-based "digital escorts", staff with lesser technical expertise tasked with overseeing foreign support teams. The report warned that this arrangement could expose the U.S. to cyber vulnerabilities, especially in light of rising geopolitical tensions with China. read more CBE: Deposits in Local Currency Hit EGP 5.25 Trillion Morocco Plans to Spend $1 Billion to Mitigate Drought Effect Gov't Approves Final Version of State Ownership Policy Document Egypt's Economy Expected to Grow 5% by the end of 2022/23- Minister Qatar Agrees to Supply Germany with LNG for 15 Years Business Oil Prices Descend amid Anticipation of Additional US Strategic Petroleum Reserves Business Suez Canal Records $704 Million, Historically Highest Monthly Revenue Business Egypt's Stock Exchange Earns EGP 4.9 Billion on Tuesday Business Wheat delivery season commences on April 15 News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Arts & Culture "Jurassic World Rebirth" Gets Streaming Date Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle News "Tensions Escalate: Iran Probes Allegations of Indian Tech Collaboration with Israeli Intelligence" Sports Get to Know 2025 WWE Evolution Results News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks
Qatar Tribune
6 days ago
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
Microsoft halts China tech support for Pentagon systems
Agencies Microsoft said Friday it is making sure that personnel based in China are not providing technical support for US Defense Department systems, after investigative news site ProPublica revealed the practice earlier this week. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth confirmed that work on Defense Department cloud services had been outsourced to people in China, insisting that the country will not have 'any involvement whatsoever' with the department's systems going forward. '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, said in a post on X. ProPublica reported Tuesday that the tech giant was using engineers based in China—Washington's primary military rival—to maintain Pentagon computer systems, with only limited supervision by US personnel who often lacked the necessary expertise to do the job effectively. US Senator Tom Cotton asked Hegseth to look into the matter in a letter dated Thursday, and the Pentagon chief responded that he would do then posted a video on X Friday evening in which he said 'it turns out that some tech companies have been using cheap Chinese labor to assist with DoD cloud services. This is obviously unacceptable, especially in today's digital threat environment.' 'At my direction, the department will... initiate—as fast as we can—a two-week review, or faster, to make sure that what we uncovered isn't happening anywhere else across the DoD,' he said. 'We will continue to monitor and counter all threats to our military infrastructure and online networks,' he added, thanking 'all those Americans out there in the media and elsewhere who raised this issue to our attention so we could address it.'
Time of India
7 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
'Obama era initiative...': Hegseth reveals Pentagon systems used China-based service; Microsoft acts
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth confirmed that work on Defense Department cloud services had been outsourced to people in China, insisting that the country will not have "any involvement whatsoever" with the department's systems going forward. "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, said in a post on X. ProPublica reported Tuesday that the tech giant was using engineers based in China -- Washington's primary military rival -- to maintain Pentagon computer systems, with only limited supervision by US personnel who often lacked the necessary expertise to do the job effectively. Show more Show less
