A House of Representatives homeland security panel will examine Microsoft President Brad Smith’s security measures on Thursday after Russian and Chinese hackers entered its computers last year
Last year, hackers with ties to China broke into the tech giant’s systems and took 60,000 emails from the U.S. State Department.
Additionally, a Russian group spied on Microsoft’s senior staff emails earlier this year, per the company’s reports.
The Cyber Safety Review Board, established by U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, issued a critical report in April that criticized Microsoft for failing to disclose the Chinese breach, which the board claimed could have been avoided.
Security industry colleagues have also criticized the world’s largest software manufacturer, a critical vendor to the United States government and national security establishment.
In an earlier statement, the House panel for homeland security announced that lawmakers would investigate Microsoft’s security deficiencies, obstacles to safeguarding against intrusions, and strategies for enhancing its security protocols.
In the aftermath of the Chinese attack, they will also deliberate on the conclusions and suggestions of the board report.
“Congressman Mark Green from Mississippi will inform Smith at the hearing that it is now the responsibility of Congress to investigate Microsoft’s response to the CSRB’s report, as this is not the first instance of an avoidable cyberattack.”
“Mr. Smith, as a long-time key leader within Microsoft, you will help us understand the gaps that enabled these recent cyber intrusions.
In response to the board’s criticisms, Microsoft declared that it was in the process of enhancing its processes and the enforcement of security benchmarks.
In November, it announced the introduction of a new cybersecurity initiative designed to mitigate the “increasing scale and high stakes of cyberattacks.”
At the time, Microsoft declared that security would be its primary focus, surpassing all other features.