In a statement to US lawmakers, Microsoft President Brad Smith has accepted responsibility for the cybersecurity failings highlighted in a recent government-backed report. Smith expressed, “We acknowledge that we can and must do better, and we apologize and express our deepest regrets to those who have been impacted.” He is scheduled to testify before the House Homeland Security Committee to address the impact of Microsoft’s cybersecurity shortcomings on national security.
Microsoft has been the target of hacking campaigns allegedly carried out by Chinese and Russian spies in the past year. A report by the US Cyber Safety Review Board in April detailed a series of errors by Microsoft that enabled Chinese hackers to breach the company’s network and access email accounts of senior US officials, including the secretary of commerce.
Smith highlighted that Microsoft has been actively working to improve its cybersecurity practices in response to the recommendations from the government-backed board.