{"id":108,"date":"2026-07-11T06:48:35","date_gmt":"2026-07-11T06:48:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/maxinefilmes.com\/odelator\/microsoft-china-defense-department-digital-escorts-investigation-warning\/"},"modified":"2026-07-11T09:35:25","modified_gmt":"2026-07-11T09:35:25","slug":"microsoft-china-defense-department-digital-escorts-investigation-warning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maxinefilmes.com\/odelator\/microsoft-china-defense-department-digital-escorts-investigation-warning\/","title":{"rendered":"DOD: Microsoft\u2019s Use of China-Based Engineers Was \u201cBreach of Trust\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":" <article class=\"wp-block-group p-grid-text-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\"> <header class=\"wp-block-group entry-header is-layout-flow wp-container-core-group-is-layout-3ce78d47 wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-propublica-opener\">  <div class=\"wp-block-group p-opener p-opener--small p-opener--left p-opener--order-hed-art-dek is-layout-flow wp-container-core-group-is-layout-a77db08e wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">  <div class=\"wp-block-group p-opener__art-wrapper is-layout-flow wp-container-core-group-is-layout-a77db08e wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">  <figure> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"p-opener__art\" alt=\"Hegseth speaks at a podium.\" width=\"1149\" height=\"766\" src=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2220718203_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?w=1149\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2220718203_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg 3000w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2220718203_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2220718203_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2220718203_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2220718203_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2220718203_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2220718203_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=863,575 863w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2220718203_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=422,281 422w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2220718203_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=552,368 552w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2220718203_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=558,372 558w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2220718203_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=527,351 527w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2220718203_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=752,501 752w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2220718203_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1149,766 1149w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2220718203_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=459,306 459w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2220718203_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=2000,1333 2000w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2220718203_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=400,267 400w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2220718203_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=800,533 800w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2220718203_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2220718203_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1600,1067 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 60em) 100vw, (min-width: 1400px) 800px, 50vw\" style=\"object-position: 50% 50%;\" fetchpriority=\"high\">  <figcaption class=\"p-attribution\"> <span class=\"p-attribution__caption\"> Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth <\/span>  <span class=\"p-attribution__credit\"> Andrew Harnik\/Getty Images <\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/figure>  <\/div>    <div class=\"wp-block-group p-opener__topic-title-dek-wrapper is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">  <p class=\"p-opener__series wp-block-propublica-primary-term\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/maxinefilmes.com\/odelator\/\" class=\"wp-block-propublica-primary-term__link p-opener__series-link\"> Zero Trust\t\t<\/a> <\/p>   <h1 class=\"p-opener__hed  wp-block-post-title\">Pentagon Warns Microsoft: Company\u2019s Use of China-Based Engineers Was a \u201cBreach of Trust\u201d<\/h1>   <h2 class=\"p-opener__dek wp-block-propublica-dek\"> The Defense Department is opening an investigation to determine if the tech giant\u2019s use of overseas engineers to maintain sensitive U.S. government computer systems compromised national security.<\/h2>  <\/div>  <\/div>   <div class=\"wp-block-group p-article-meta-1 p-article-meta-1--left is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\"> <div class=\"p-article-meta-1__byline wp-block-propublica-byline\"> <div class=\"wp-block-propublica-byline__photos\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/maxinefilmes.com\/odelator\/\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\" class=\"wp-block-propublica-byline__photo-link\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/renee-dudley.jpg?w=50\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/renee-dudley.jpg?w=50 1x, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/renee-dudley.jpg?w=100 2x\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-propublica-byline__photo\" width=\"50\" height=\"50\"> <\/a> <\/div> <div class=\"wp-block-propublica-byline__right\"> <div class=\"wp-block-propublica-byline__content\"> <span class=\"wp-block-propublica-byline-text\">by <\/span><span class=\"wp-block-propublica-byline-profile\"><a href=\"https:\/\/maxinefilmes.com\/odelator\/\">Renee Dudley<\/a><\/span>\t\t<\/div> <\/div> <\/div>   <div class=\"p-article-meta-1__pubdate wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2025-08-29T16:10:00-04:00\">August 29, 2025, 4:10 pm<\/time><\/div>   <div class=\"wp-block-group p-article-meta-1__section-actions p-article-meta-1__section-actions--left is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">  <div class=\"wp-block-group p-article-meta-1__section-actions-container is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6c531013 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">         <div style=\"display: contents\"> <!--[--><div class=\"share-tools\" data-pp-click=\"\" data-pp-location=\"share tools\"><!--[--><!--[--><!--$s1--><!--[0--><div class=\"svelte-1ear6bd button--circle\" style=\"display: contents; --button-bg-color: var(--p-dyn-color-white); --button-text-color: var(--p-dyn-color-gray-05); --button-border: 1px solid var(--p-dyn-color-gray-01); --button-font-size: var(--p-scale-4);\"><!--[--><!----><button data-button-root=\"true\" type=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" id=\"bits-s1\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-expanded=\"false\" data-state=\"closed\" data-popover-trigger=\"\" aria-label=\"Share\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" style=\"display: contents\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><g clip-path=\"url(#clip0_149_321)\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M4 11C4.55228 11 5 11.4477 5 12V20C5 20.2652 5.10536 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stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><title>Contrast<\/title><circle cx=\"12\" cy=\"12\" r=\"10\"><\/circle><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M12 18a6 6 0 000-12v12z\"><\/path><\/svg><!--]--><\/span><!----><!----><\/button><!----><!--]--><\/div><!----> <label class=\"p-a11y\" for=\"dark-mode-toggle__select\">Change Appearance<\/label> <select class=\"dark-mode-toggle__select svelte-1l6vey\" id=\"dark-mode-toggle__select\" data-pp-change=\"true\" data-pp-category=\"change-mode\"><!--[--><option value=\"auto\" selected=\"\">Auto<\/option><option value=\"light\">Light<\/option><option value=\"dark\">Dark<\/option><!--]--><\/select><\/div><!--]--> <\/div>  <\/div>  <\/div>  <\/div>  <\/div> <\/header>    <div class=\"wp-block-group article-body is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">  <aside class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-propublica-notes--top wp-block-propublica-notes\"> <div class=\"wp-block-propublica-note\">   <p>ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive <a href=\"https:\/\/maxinefilmes.com\/odelator\/\" data-gtm-vis-recent-on-screen102051180_42=\"444\" data-gtm-vis-first-on-screen102051180_42=\"444\" data-gtm-vis-total-visible-time102051180_42=\"100\" data-gtm-vis-has-fired102051180_42=\"1\">our biggest stories<\/a> as soon as they\u2019re published.<\/p>  <\/div> <\/div> <\/aside>   <div class=\"entry-content wp-block-post-content is-layout-flow wp-block-post-content-is-layout-flow\"> <p>The Pentagon issued a \u201cletter of concern\u201d to Microsoft documenting a \u201cbreach of trust\u201d over the company\u2019s use of China-based engineers to maintain sensitive government computer systems, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced this week. At the same time, the Defense Department is opening an investigation into whether any of those employees have compromised national security.<\/p>    <p>The actions came in response to <a href=\"https:\/\/maxinefilmes.com\/odelator\/\">a recent ProPublica investigation<\/a> that exposed Microsoft\u2019s \u201cdigital escort\u201d system, in which U.S. personnel with security clearances supervise foreign engineers, including those in China. ProPublica found that the escorts often lack the expertise needed to effectively supervise engineers with far more advanced technical skills.<\/p>    <p>The tech giant developed the arrangement as a work-around to a Defense Department requirement that people handling sensitive data be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.<\/p>    <p>\u201cThe program was designed to comply with contracting rules, but it exposed the department to unacceptable risk,\u201d Hegseth <a href=\"#\" data-broken-external-link=\"true\">said in a video announcement posted on X<\/a>. \u201cIf you\u2019re thinking America first and common sense, this doesn\u2019t pass either of those tests.\u201d<\/p>    <p>The letter serves as a warning to Microsoft, which has said in <a href=\"#\" data-broken-external-link=\"true\">earnings reports<\/a> that it receives \u201csubstantial revenue from government contracts.\u201d It is less serious than a \u201ccure notice,\u201d which could lead to termination of Microsoft contracts if problems are not fixed. The department did not release the letter publicly, and it did not reply to ProPublica\u2019s request for a copy of it.<\/p>    <p>Experts have said allowing China-based personnel to perform technical support and maintenance on U.S. government computer systems poses major security risks. Laws in China grant the country\u2019s officials broad authority to collect data, and experts say it is difficult for any Chinese citizen or company to meaningfully resist a direct request from security forces or law enforcement.<\/p> <div class=\"p-hide-print p-bb--size-full wp-block-propublica-ad-slot\"> <div id=\"bsa-zone_1760102005055-6_123456\"><\/div> <\/div>    <p>Hegseth said the newly opened Pentagon investigation into the digital escort program would focus on Microsoft\u2019s China-based employees. The probe will \u201chelp us determine the impact of this digital escort workaround,\u201d he said, including whether \u201cthey put anything in the code that we didn\u2019t know about.\u201d<\/p>    <p>Hegseth said in his video announcement that the department is also requiring a new third-party audit of Microsoft\u2019s digital escort program. It is unclear who will conduct that audit.<\/p>    <p>Microsoft started using digital escorts about a decade ago, ProPublica found, and went on to win federal cloud computing business worth billions of dollars. Through the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations, the system escaped the notice of Pentagon officials. ProPublica reported last week that Microsoft <a href=\"https:\/\/maxinefilmes.com\/odelator\/\">failed to disclose key details of the arrangement in the security plans<\/a> it submitted to the Defense Department. The company has declined to comment on those omissions.<\/p>    <p>\u201cWe expect vendors doing business with the Department of Defense to put U.S. national security ahead of profit maximization,\u201d Hegseth said in the video.<\/p>    <p>In the wake of ProPublica\u2019s reporting, Microsoft announced last month that it had stopped using China-based engineers to support Defense Department cloud computing systems. In a statement provided for this story, the company said that it \u201cwill continue to collaborate with the US Government to ensure we are meeting their expectations.\u201d<\/p>    <p>\u201cWe remain committed to providing the most secure services possible to the US government, including working with our national security partners to evaluate and adjust our security protocols as needed,\u201d the company said in the statement.<\/p>    <p>In addition to China, Microsoft has operations in India, the European Union and elsewhere across the globe, and engineers in those places also work on Defense Department cloud maintenance.<\/p>    <p>Last month, Hegseth <a href=\"#\" data-broken-external-link=\"true\">said on X<\/a> that \u201cforeign engineers \u2014 from any country, including of course China \u2014 should NEVER be allowed to maintain or access DoD systems.\u201d But last week, in response to ProPublica\u2019s questions, the Defense Department left the door open to the continued use of foreign-based engineers with digital escorts, saying that it \u201cmay be deemed an acceptable risk,\u201d depending on factors that include \u201cthe country of origin of the foreign national\u201d being escorted.<\/p>    <p>In his announcement, Hegseth did not mention whether the escort program would continue or say whether Microsoft\u2019s reliance on other foreign nationals to maintain the Defense Department\u2019s computer systems would also be reviewed. The department did not respond to questions from ProPublica seeking additional information about the new investigations.<\/p>    <p><a href=\"https:\/\/maxinefilmes.com\/odelator\/\">ProPublica reported last month<\/a> that Microsoft has also relied on its China-based employees to maintain federal cloud computing systems beyond the Defense Department, including those of the departments of Justice, Treasury and Commerce. In response to the reporting, Microsoft has suggested that it would also discontinue the use of China-based engineers for those departments.<\/p>    <p>In this week\u2019s announcement, Hegseth said the Defense Department was working \u201cwith our partners in the rest of the federal government to ensure that all U.S. networks are protected.\u201d<\/p> <\/div>   <aside class=\"wp-block-query is-layout-flow wp-block-query-is-layout-flow\"> <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading screen-reader-text\">Corrections<\/h2>  <\/aside>    <aside class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\"> <\/aside> <\/div>    <footer class=\"wp-block-group entry-footer is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">   <div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">  <\/div>    <div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-right is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-95163ec0 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\" style=\"border-top-color:var(--p-dyn-color-gray-01);border-top-width:1px;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--p-spacing-3)\"><div class=\"taxonomy-pp_topic hide-print wp-block-post-terms wp-container-content-9cfa9a5a\"><span class=\"wp-block-post-terms__prefix\">Filed under \u2014 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/maxinefilmes.com\/odelator\/\" rel=\"tag\">Technology<\/a><\/div>  <div class=\"wp-block-propublica-republish-link\" data-component=\"republish-link\">  <div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\"> <div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-outline is-style-outline--4\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button wp-block-propublica-republish-link__open-button\">Republish This Story<\/button><\/div> <\/div>  <div class=\"wp-block-propublica-republish-link__modal wp-block-propublica-republish-link__modal--hidden\" role=\"dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" aria-hidden=\"true\" aria-labelledby=\"propublica-republish-link-label2\" aria-description=\"propublica-republish-link-description3\">  <div class=\"wp-block-propublica-republish-link__modal__header\"> <button type=\"button\" class=\"wp-block-propublica-republish-link__close-button\" aria-label=\"Close\"> <svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\"><use href=\"#am-symbol-close\"><\/use><\/svg>\t<\/button> <\/div> <div class=\"wp-block-propublica-republish-link__modal__content\">  <div class=\"wp-block-propublica-republish-link__modal__instructions\"> <h2 class=\"wp-block-propublica-republish-link__modal-hed\" id=\"propublica-republish-link-label2\">Republish This Story for Free<\/h2>  <p class=\"wp-block-propublica-republish-link__modal-license\" id=\"propublica-republish-link-description3\"><a rel=\"license\" href=\"#\" data-broken-external-link=\"true\">Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)<\/a><\/p>  <hr>  <p> Thank you for your interest in republishing this story. You are free to republish it so long as you do the following:\t<\/p>  <ul> <li> You have to credit <em>ProPublica and any co-reporting partners<\/em>. In the byline, we prefer &#8220;Author Name, Publication(s).&#8221; At the top of the text of your story, include a line that reads: &#8220;This story was originally published by ProPublica.&#8221; You must link the word &#8220;ProPublica&#8221; to the original URL of the story.\t\t<\/li>  <li> If you&#8217;re republishing online, you must link to the URL of this story on propublica.org, include all of the links from our story, including our newsletter sign up language and link, and use our <a href=\"\/pixelping\">PixelPing tag<\/a>.\t\t<\/li>  <li> If you use canonical metadata, please use the ProPublica URL. 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This includes publishing or syndicating our work on platforms or apps such as Apple News, Google News, etc.\t\t<\/li>  <li> You can&#8217;t republish our material wholesale, or automatically; you need to select stories to be republished individually. (To inquire about syndication or licensing opportunities, contact <a href=\"mailto:licensing@propublica.org\">licensing@propublica.org<\/a>.)\t\t<\/li>  <li> You can&#8217;t use our work to populate a website designed to improve rankings on search engines or solely to gain revenue from network-based advertisements.\t\t<\/li>  <li> We do not generally permit translation of our stories into another language. <\/li>  <li> Any website our stories appear on must include a prominent and effective way to contact you.\t\t<\/li> <\/ul> <\/div>  <div class=\"wp-block-propublica-republish-link__modal__copy\"> <label> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">HTML<\/span>  <textarea readonly=\"\" tabindex=\"-1\">&lt;h1&gt;Pentagon Warns Microsoft: Company\u2019s Use of China-Based Engineers Was a \u201cBreach of Trust\u201d&lt;\/h1&gt; &lt;p&gt;The Pentagon issued a \u201cletter of concern\u201d to Microsoft documenting a \u201cbreach of trust\u201d over the company\u2019s use of China-based engineers to maintain sensitive government computer systems, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced this week. At the same time, the Defense Department is opening an investigation into whether any of those employees have compromised national security.&lt;\/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;The actions came in response to &lt;a href=&#8221;https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/article\/microsoft-digital-escorts-pentagon-defense-department-china-hackers&#8221;&gt;a recent ProPublica investigation&lt;\/a&gt; that exposed Microsoft\u2019s \u201cdigital escort\u201d system, in which U.S. personnel with security clearances supervise foreign engineers, including those in China. ProPublica found that the escorts often lack the expertise needed to effectively supervise engineers with far more advanced technical skills.&lt;\/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;The tech giant developed the arrangement as a work-around to a Defense Department requirement that people handling sensitive data be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.&lt;\/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;\u201cThe program was designed to comply with contracting rules, but it exposed the department to unacceptable risk,\u201d Hegseth &lt;a href=&#8221;https:\/\/x.com\/SecDef\/status\/1960824471683801206&#8243;&gt;said in a video announcement posted on X&lt;\/a&gt;. \u201cIf you\u2019re thinking America first and common sense, this doesn\u2019t pass either of those tests.\u201d&lt;\/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;The letter serves as a warning to Microsoft, which has said in &lt;a href=&#8221;https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/ix?doc=\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/0000789019\/000095017025061046\/msft-20250331.htm&#8221;&gt;earnings reports&lt;\/a&gt; that it receives \u201csubstantial revenue from government contracts.\u201d It is less serious than a \u201ccure notice,\u201d which could lead to termination of Microsoft contracts if problems are not fixed. The department did not release the letter publicly, and it did not reply to ProPublica\u2019s request for a copy of it.&lt;\/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Experts have said allowing China-based personnel to perform technical support and maintenance on U.S. government computer systems poses major security risks. Laws in China grant the country\u2019s officials broad authority to collect data, and experts say it is difficult for any Chinese citizen or company to meaningfully resist a direct request from security forces or law enforcement.&lt;\/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Hegseth said the newly opened Pentagon investigation into the digital escort program would focus on Microsoft\u2019s China-based employees. The probe will \u201chelp us determine the impact of this digital escort workaround,\u201d he said, including whether \u201cthey put anything in the code that we didn\u2019t know about.\u201d&lt;\/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Hegseth said in his video announcement that the department is also requiring a new third-party audit of Microsoft\u2019s digital escort program. It is unclear who will conduct that audit.&lt;\/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Microsoft started using digital escorts about a decade ago, ProPublica found, and went on to win federal cloud computing business worth billions of dollars. Through the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations, the system escaped the notice of Pentagon officials. ProPublica reported last week that Microsoft &lt;a href=&#8221;https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/article\/microsoft-china-defense-department-cloud-computing-security&#8221;&gt;failed to disclose key details of the arrangement in the security plans&lt;\/a&gt; it submitted to the Defense Department. The company has declined to comment on those omissions.&lt;\/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;\u201cWe expect vendors doing business with the Department of Defense to put U.S. national security ahead of profit maximization,\u201d Hegseth said in the video.&lt;\/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;In the wake of ProPublica\u2019s reporting, Microsoft announced last month that it had stopped using China-based engineers to support Defense Department cloud computing systems. In a statement provided for this story, the company said that it \u201cwill continue to collaborate with the US Government to ensure we are meeting their expectations.\u201d&lt;\/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;\u201cWe remain committed to providing the most secure services possible to the US government, including working with our national security partners to evaluate and adjust our security protocols as needed,\u201d the company said in the statement.&lt;\/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;In addition to China, Microsoft has operations in India, the European Union and elsewhere across the globe, and engineers in those places also work on Defense Department cloud maintenance.&lt;\/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Last month, Hegseth &lt;a href=&#8221;https:\/\/x.com\/PeteHegseth\/status\/1946226166282527037?s=19&#8243;&gt;said on X&lt;\/a&gt; that \u201cforeign engineers \u2014 from any country, including of course China \u2014 should NEVER be allowed to maintain or access DoD systems.\u201d But last week, in response to ProPublica\u2019s questions, the Defense Department left the door open to the continued use of foreign-based engineers with digital escorts, saying that it \u201cmay be deemed an acceptable risk,\u201d depending on factors that include \u201cthe country of origin of the foreign national\u201d being escorted.&lt;\/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;In his announcement, Hegseth did not mention whether the escort program would continue or say whether Microsoft\u2019s reliance on other foreign nationals to maintain the Defense Department\u2019s computer systems would also be reviewed. The department did not respond to questions from ProPublica seeking additional information about the new investigations.&lt;\/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&#8221;https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/article\/microsoft-tech-support-government-cybersecurity-china-doj-treasury&#8221;&gt;ProPublica reported last month&lt;\/a&gt; that Microsoft has also relied on its China-based employees to maintain federal cloud computing systems beyond the Defense Department, including those of the departments of Justice, Treasury and Commerce. In response to the reporting, Microsoft has suggested that it would also discontinue the use of China-based engineers for those departments.&lt;\/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;In this week\u2019s announcement, Hegseth said the Defense Department was working \u201cwith our partners in the rest of the federal government to ensure that all U.S. networks are protected.\u201d&lt;\/p&gt; &lt;link rel=&#8221;canonical&#8221; href=&#8221;https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/article\/microsoft-china-defense-department-digital-escorts-investigation-warning&#8221; \/&gt; &lt;meta name=&#8221;syndication-source&#8221; content=&#8221;https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/article\/microsoft-china-defense-department-digital-escorts-investigation-warning&#8221; \/&gt; &lt;script type=&#8221;text\/javascript&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/pixel.propublica.org\/pixel.js&#8221; async&gt;&lt;\/script&gt; <\/textarea>\t<\/label>  <button type=\"button\" class=\"wp-block-propublica-republish-link__copy-button\">Copy HTML<\/button> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>   <\/footer> <\/article> ","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Andrew Harnik\/Getty Images Zero Trust Pentagon Warns Microsoft: Company\u2019s Use of China-Based Engineers Was a \u201cBreach of Trust\u201d The Defense Department is opening an investigation to determine if the tech giant\u2019s use of overseas engineers to maintain sensitive U.S. government computer systems compromised national security. by Renee Dudley August 29, 2025, [&hellip;]","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":109,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-108","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ciencia-tecnologia-e-inovacao"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/maxinefilmes.com\/odelator\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/maxinefilmes.com\/odelator\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/maxinefilmes.com\/odelator\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maxinefilmes.com\/odelator\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maxinefilmes.com\/odelator\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=108"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/maxinefilmes.com\/odelator\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":296,"href":"https:\/\/maxinefilmes.com\/odelator\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108\/revisions\/296"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maxinefilmes.com\/odelator\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/109"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/maxinefilmes.com\/odelator\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=108"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maxinefilmes.com\/odelator\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=108"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maxinefilmes.com\/odelator\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=108"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}