This is an area that has needed reform for years:
The Pentagon will no longer allow Chinese nationals to support Department of Defense (DOD) cloud environments, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a video posted to X on Aug. 27.
Hegseth said the arrangement – part of a Microsoft program known as “Digital Escorts” – allowed coders from China, remotely supervised by U.S. contractors, to assist with sensitive DOD cloud systems. He called the setup an “unacceptable risk” to national security.
Well, yeah.
Here's how the rules have been bent for years. Initially what was mandated was that only U.S. Citizens could work in these environments. After lots of complaints from tech companies (*cough* Jobs Americans won't do *cough*) this was changed to "US Persons". This added both Green Card holders and H1-B Visa holders to the list of acceptable people allowed into the environments.
Fast forward a decade and Silicon Valley has so gamed the H1-B system that the US imports a huge number of foreign workers while laying off US citizens. So the question is how much loyalty to the USA do these people have?
Green Card holders? Probably a lot.
H1-B holders? Dunno.
Chinese H1-B holders? Per the SECDEF, they represent an overwhelming security risk.
Like I said, this area has been ripe for reform for years. We will see if this policy gets extended from the War Department for Fed.Gov in general.
3 comments:
Cyber traps are a better plan. We did this to the Soviets re pipeline controls. Do a few of those and the Chinese won't believe anything their agents manage to steal.
I refused to go to work for an agency directly involved in national security because they wanted to hire me as their first chief of counterintelligence. The agency had existed for over ten years at that point. They really didn't believe they needed the role, but DoD mandated it after certain activities involving Cubans, Russians, and the Chinese came to light. The management didn't see how hiring illegals for day work on a classified national security project was a problem.
That, and they didn't offer me enough money to make the drive worthwhile. They wouldn't even let me have a parking spot. They told me I could park behind the gas station half a mile down the street.
This was a couple decades ago. The agency no longer exists independently, for good reason.
McChuck, I'd love to have a beer or three with you someday. We can probably swap stories. Email me privately with your contact info sometime.
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