Trump Signs Defense Bill Prohibiting China-Based Engineers in Pentagon IT Work

President Trump signed a defense bill into law prohibiting individuals based in China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea from accessing the Pentagon's cloud computing systems. This action follows a ProPublica investigation revealing that Microsoft used China-based engineers to service the Defense Department's computer systems for nearly a decade, raising concerns about data vulnerability. The law codifies changes the Pentagon made in September to its cybersecurity requirements for tech contractors, effectively banning IT vendors from using personnel based in adversarial countries on Defense Department computer systems. The measure aims to address national security risks associated with foreign access to sensitive data, particularly given China's broad data collection authority. The new law closes contractor loopholes that allowed companies like Microsoft to exploit them.

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