Ethical Hacking News
ProPublica's latest investigation reveals Microsoft's bundling practices, which have led to its dominance in federal cybersecurity and excluded competitors from lucrative government contracts. The story raises questions about the impact of this dominance on national security and the role of antitrust regulations in preventing monopolies.
ProPublica investigates Microsoft's influence on federal cybersecurity, revealing bundling practices that have dominated the market and excluded competitors. Microsoft's "free" plan was used to upgrade government cybersecurity, driving profits while prioritizing security over competition. The Federal Trade Commission is investigating Microsoft's business practices, examining potential antitrust law violations. The Biden administration issues an executive order to mitigate the risks of concentrated IT vendors and services in the federal government. Microsoft's data center industry has raised concerns about energy demand and its impact on states that offer tax exemptions.
ProPublica, a renowned investigative journalism organization, has been tracking Microsoft's influence on federal cybersecurity for several years. Their latest investigation highlights the company's bundling practices, which have led to its dominance in the market and excluded competitors from lucrative government contracts.
According to sources familiar with the probe, Microsoft used its "free" plan to upgrade government cybersecurity to box out competitors and drive profits. The company's offer of $150 million in tech services was welcomed by the White House, which helped tighten Microsoft's grip on federal business and freeze out competitors. This move effectively locked agencies into more expensive software licenses, vastly expanding Microsoft's footprint across the federal government.
The investigation also reveals that Microsoft capitalized on the SolarWinds hack in 2021, offering free trials of its cybersecurity products to federal agencies. This move was seen as a direct response to an "urgent request by the Administration to enhance the security posture of federal agencies." However, the company's actions have been criticized for prioritizing profits over security.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is currently investigating Microsoft's business practices, examining whether the company has run afoul of antitrust laws. The investigation has been ongoing since last month and involves interviews with Microsoft competitors and setting up meetings to discuss potential concerns.
Furthermore, the Biden administration has issued an executive order aimed at mitigating the risks presented by the concentration of IT vendors and services in the federal government. The order requires companies to provide proof that they use secure software development practices to reduce vulnerabilities in their products. However, it remains to be seen whether this order will be enforced by the Trump administration.
In a related story, ProPublica has also reported on Microsoft's data center industry, which demands a massive amount of energy and has raised concerns about its impact on states that offer tax exemptions to support the industry. Some states are now considering whether their approach still makes sense in light of growing demand for energy from these computer warehouses.
In other news, ProPublica has released a new tool that allows users to look up detailed demographic information about thousands of private schools across the country and compare them to nearby public schools.
Finally, ProPublica's recent investigation into the Trump White House's plans for infectious disease research has raised concerns about the potential impact on the development of life-saving treatments. The administration's pick to lead the federal health agency has vowed to replace hundreds of staffers and shift research away from infectious diseases and vaccines.
Related Information:
https://www.propublica.org/article/biden-executive-order-cybersecurity-microsoft-solarwinds-hack
https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/government/following-a-series-of-government-hacks-biden-closes-out-his-administration-with-new-cybersecurity-order/ar-AA1xoKHC
https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/16/politics/biden-cybersecurity-executive-order/index.html
Published: Fri Jan 17 16:39:12 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
