Microsoft president grovels before Congress, takes responsibility for a 'cascade' of cybersecurity errors

Congress is currently holding Microsoft's feet to the metaphorical as it gives the company a thorough toasting for what a government report has called a «cascade» of «avoidable errors». The net result of Microsoft's mess up is that Chinese hackers breached the tech giant's network last year, allowing access to the email accounts of senior US officials including the Secretary of Commerce.

Speaking before Congress at the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee (via CNN), Microsoft President Brad Smith duly grovelled before law makers, conceding every failing highlighted in the US Cyber Safety Review Board's report.

«Microsoft accepts responsibility for each and every one of the issues cited in the CSRB’s report,» Smith said. “We acknowledge that we can and must do better, and we apologize and express our deepest regrets to those who have been impacted.” 

Reportedly, the hack involved agents of China’s Ministry of State Security, who created digital keys allowing them to pose as any existing Microsoft customer. They then impersonated multiple organisations, including the U.S. Departments of State and Commerce, gaining access to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo’s emails.

Unsurprisingly, calls for Microsoft contracts to be dropped in favour of alternative vendors are on the up. But Smith argued that operating multiple vendors poses its own risks, because hackers can attack the «seams» where rival systems connect.

Exactly what «taking responsibility» means in this context is unclear. It's perhaps too much to hope Microsoft will refund its fees or resign from future contracts. That kind of thing would be to truly take responsibility.

Somewhat preposterously, Smith reportedly invoked Microsoft's farcical roll back of a major feature planned as part of its Copilot+ AI initiative for Windows as an example of the company's revitalised efforts to improve security.

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