Microsoft president testifies before US House over security lapses after China-linked hack

Brad Smith fielded questions about Microsoft’s ties to China a year after Chinese hackers spied on federal emails by hacking into the tech giant

Reading Time:2 minutes

Brad Smith, vice-chairman and president of Microsoft, is sworn in on Capitol Hill in Washington on Thursday. Photo: AFP

Published: 4:03am, 14 Jun 2024Updated: 5:40am, 14 Jun 2024

Microsoft President Brad Smith testified before a House panel on homeland security on Thursday, fielding questions about its security practices and ties to China a year after Chinese hackers spied on federal emails by hacking into the tech giant.

China-linked hackers stole 60,000 US State Department emails by breaking into the tech giant’s systems last summer, while a Russian group separately spied on Microsoft’s senior staff emails this year, according to the company’s disclosures.

Lawmakers grilled Smith for Microsoft’s inability to prevent both those hacks that they said did not use sophisticated means and repeatedly put federal networks at risk.

The Microsoft emails Russian hackers accessed also “included correspondence with government officials”, Democratic congressman Bennie Thompson said.

“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 added.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Photo: Reuters

The hearing drew on the findings of a scathing report in April by the Cyber Safety Review Board (CSRB) – formed by US Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas – which slammed Microsoft for its lack of transparency over the Chinese hack that it said was preventable.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x