A little-known Microsoft program could expose the Defense Department to Chinese hackers

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Stephen House, center, a cavalry scout assigned to Cross Domain Effects Company, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Light Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, demonstrates the use of U.S. Army Unmanned Aircraft Systems software in support of Exercise Balikatan 25 in Itbayat Airport, Itbayat, Philippines, April 22, 2025. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Peter Bannister)

By Renee Dudley and Doris Burke • Jul 15, 2025

Microsoft is using engineers in China to help maintain the Defense Department’s computer systems — with minimal supervision by U.S. personnel — leaving some of the nation’s most sensitive data vulnerable to hacking from its leading cyber adversary, a ProPublica investigation has found.

The arrangement, which was critical to Microsoft winning the federal government’s cloud computing business a decade ago, relies on U.S. citizens with security clearances to oversee the work and serve as a barrier against espionage and sabotage.

But these workers, known as “digital escorts,” often lack the technical expertise to police foreign engineers with far more advanced skills, ProPublica found. Some are former military personnel with little coding experience who are paid barely more than minimum wage for the work.