Adrian Johnson
TLDR:
- Microsoft’s security failures allowed Chinese hackers to access U.S. government employee emails
- Report by U.S. Cyber Safety Review Board calls for an overhaul of Microsoft’s security culture
Microsoft’s ‘cascade of security failures’ allowed Chinese state-sponsored hacking group Storm-0558 to access the email accounts of U.S. government employees. The U.S. Cyber Safety Review Board, established by the U.S Department of Homeland Security, released a report outlining the security breaches that could have been prevented by Microsoft. The hacking group gained access to the emails of 22 organizations and over 500 people, including U.S. government employees working on national security.
The report highlighted several failings by Microsoft employees, such as the failure to detect compromises in security measures and misinformation about the incident. The Board called for an overhaul of Microsoft’s security culture to prevent such incidents in the future. Steps that could have been taken by Microsoft to prevent the breach include rotating security keys and improving authentication protocols.
Microsoft responded to the report by implementing changes to its cybersecurity policies and introducing the Secure Future Initiative, a program designed to enhance security using AI and automation. The tech giant plans to address the issues raised in the report to better protect its customers and prevent future security breaches.
