CHINA WATCHPentagon Warns Microsoft: Company’s Use of China-Based Engineers Was a “Breach of Trust”

By Renee Dudley

The Defense Department is opening an investigation to determine if the tech giant’s use of overseas engineers to maintain sensitive U.S. government computer systems compromised national security.

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UNILTERAL DISRMAMENT Silencing America’s Voice

The Trump administration has taken a series of steps which have substantially weakened U.S. government-funded media outlets whose task it was to tell the American story and counter the global propaganda and disinformation efforts of U.S. adversaries. These moves greatly benefit the anti-American propaganda efforts of Russia and China, which will now go unchallenged.

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CHINA WATCHMicrosoft Failed to Disclose Key Details About Use of China-Based Engineers in U.S. Defense Work, Record Shows

By Renee Dudley, with research by Doris Burke

The tech giant is required to regularly provide U.S. officials with its plan for keeping government data safe from hacking. Yet a copy of Microsoft’s security plan obtained by ProPublica makes no reference to the company’s China-based operations.

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CHINA WATCHMicrosoft Used China-Based Engineers to Support Product Recently Hacked by China

By Renee Dudley

Microsoft announced that Chinese state-sponsored hackers had exploited vulnerabilities in its popular SharePoint software but didn’t mention that it has long used China-based engineers to maintain the product.

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INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITYCongress Has a Chequered History of Overseeing U.S. Intelligence and National Security

By Luca Trenta

The role of Congress is to conduct oversight. It is the role of the governing administration to keep Congress informed of intelligence matters, particularly covert operations. History shows this has often been hard to achieve.

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CYBERSECURITYA Little-Known Microsoft Program Could Expose the Defense Department to Chinese Hackers

By Renee Dudley, with research by Doris Burke

Microsoft is using engineers in China to help maintain the Defense Department’s computer systems —with minimal supervision by U.S. personnel. Digital escorts often lack the technical expertise to police foreign engineers with far more advanced skills, leaving highly sensitive data vulnerable to hacking. Microsoft has been warned that the arrangement is inherently risky, but the company launched and expanded it anyway.

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THE RUSSIA CONNECTIONCountering Russia’s Cognitive Warfare Against the United States

China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea increasingly use cognitive warfare against the United States in order to shape U.S. decision-making.

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