Pentagon Cuts Access to Cloud Data for Chinese Contractors
Defense Secretary Pete Hegses announced on Wednesday that access to Pentagon Cloud data systems—managed through Microsoft—has been restricted for Chinese contractors. He emphasized a comprehensive investigation will follow this decision.
“The use of these systems by Chinese citizens? That’s over,” Hegses stated in a video addressing the policy changes.
As of now, Pentagon cloud servers can no longer be engaged by Chinese personnel, a point Hegses elaborated on. Additionally, he has mandated a third-party audit concerning Microsoft’s “Digital Escorts” program.
This program previously utilized “digital escorts”—essentially employees with limited tech skills but security clearances—who translated commands from more adept engineers based in China into the Pentagon’s cloud system. This arrangement, reported to be in place for over a decade, raises concerns regarding potential security risks.
“I am also assigning the Department of Defense experts to probe the digital escort program and the Microsoft employees linked to it,” Hegses mentioned during his announcement. “These inquiries will clarify the impact of this workaround. Were there aspects embedded in the code that went unnoticed?”
A source familiar with the program revealed to Propublica that employees lacked insight into what the Chinese engineers were doing while accessing the system, with approximately 50 escorts, each managing numerous exchanges with China-based staff.
“Secretary Hegses and the Trump administration are right to initiate a thorough investigation into Microsoft’s concerning digital escort program, which may have given access to sensitive military data,” a concerned party stated. “The reckless nature of creating this vulnerability needs to be fully disclosed, and if laws were violated, those responsible should face severe consequences.”
Propublica reported that multiple Microsoft employees had alerted the company about the risks associated with the program, indicating that engineers in China had access to server specifics that could be exploited by malicious hackers.
“It’s about prioritizing America, and that’s just common sense,” Hegses emphasized. “This shouldn’t have occurred in the first place, but once I became aware, I acted decisively from the very beginning. I’ll examine all details and ensure appropriate actions are taken.”
Microsoft has not yet responded to a request for comment.
