Federal Cyber Experts Thought Microsoft’s Cloud Was “a Pile of Shit.” They Approved It Anyway.
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The Bottom Line
Federal cybersecurity experts called Microsoft's cloud 'a pile of shit' but approved it anyway; staff cuts now undermine oversight.
How This Affects You
Federal agencies storing your personal data and managing critical services use cloud systems approved despite documented security gaps, increasing breach risk.
AI Summary
Federal cybersecurity evaluators found Microsoft's Government Community Cloud High lacked adequate security documentation and one reviewer called it "a pile of shit," but the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program authorized it anyway in late 2024. The decision came despite Microsoft's products being central to two major cyberattacks on U.S. federal agencies—one by Russian hackers stealing data from the National Nuclear Security Administration and another by Chinese hackers infiltrating Cabinet-level email accounts—in the prior three years. FedRAMP approved the product largely because it was already in widespread use across the Justice and Energy departments and the defense sector during the review process, rather than because security concerns were resolved. The authorization has now been effectively undermined by the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency slashing FedRAMP's staff and budget to $10 million annually, leaving the program with skeleton staffing and operating as what former employees describe as "a rubber stamp for industry." The General Services Administration, which houses FedRAMP, defended the program as having undergone reforms, but critics like former NSA computer scientist Tony Sager say the process has become "security theater" rather than actual security.
What's Being Done
FedRAMP approved Microsoft's Government Community Cloud High in late 2024 despite security concerns; Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency subsequently cut FedRAMP's budget to $10 million annually.
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