Microsoft used staff in China to help babysit US govt cloud services, report says

Microsoft has been left with egg on its face after an independent investigation revealed a concerning pattern of using workers based in China to maintain and support US government customers on its Azure cloud. The initial report, published by nonprofit investigative journalism outfit ProPublica on July 15, exposed Redmond's …

[elsergiovolador]

Busy

This is because the Russians are busy babysitting FBI and CIA.

[kmorwath]

It looks MS can't even protect US sovereignity on its data...

... not only that of EU ones.

And I'm sure in the Celestial Empire, "cloud acts" are even stronger....

How long could Nadella protect himself - even if he made shareholders riched and richer?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: It looks MS can't even protect US sovereignity on its data...

Offshoring/outsourcing at it’s ‘best’.

+ IBM, Accenture, Oracle, Cognizant, Google, Cisco efc ….

[druck]

What more does Microsoft have to do to prove they are unfit for any purpose either on prem or in the cloud?

[NoneSuch]

> What more does Microsoft have to do to prove they are unfit for any purpose either on prem or in the cloud?

They've had nothing to prove to me since Windows 2000.

[Paul Crawford]

In the past, and in some locations even the present, if you wanted to handle any sensitive data you had to get all staff with access listed and vetted. So WTF were the DoD doing giving the data to MS without having exactly that sort of system, with working checks, in place for all staff that were involved?

[may_i]

You hit the nail on the head! Any classified system must have access only for vetted and named people. If that isn't a stipulation of any contract the military made with Microsoft, I would be very surprised.

Wilfully breaking the conditions of a contract with the military doesn't normally go away with a glib "we have changed our procedures" excuse...

[Wang Cores]

Money.

[IGotOut]

Ahh Bless

"the job cuts have been "weighing heavily" on him"

Then he thought of his next dividend payout and slept soundly..

[O'Reg Inalsin]

There was nothing in the contract promising to us US staff for such work? Unbelievable.

[Khaptain]

As of this writing, Microsoft has not responded to The Register's request for comment

I think it's in their interest to not reply. Even a seasoned Spin Doctor is going to have a hard time explaining this.

[Doctor Syntax]

Re: As of this writing, Microsoft has not responded to The Register's request for comment

I'm sure there are a few suitable phrases on the playbook: only a few.etc., no longer doing it (right out of Sir Humphrey's stock excuses), mistake by a junior/former employee ...

No problem. The emollient words flow smoothly, not so much lies, more a case of not having any meaning to any PR person.

[Lee D]

Put things in cloud.

Realise that all the things you put in the cloud are now ephemeral to you and Microsoft can run off and do silly stuff that you never wanted them to do and you'll never know about it until they confess.

Dumbest idea ever. Completely predictable too.

Any government cloud should be operated on an entirely government-controlled isolated system with appropriate access controls and vetted staff throughout.

The cloud really is going to take a massive hit at some point and everyone is going to run for cover back to on-prem and isolated systems again.

Until 20 years later when they've all forgotten about that and "hey, it's fine, this is holographic cloud, it's not the same" and the cycle will repeat again.

[Stoic Skeptic]

Jail Time

As with any corporation, when there is no consequence to bad behavior, it will continue. Want these things to stop? Put Nadella in jail.