A U.S. online security agency will examine concerns related to cloud identity and authentication systems, taking into account a recent Microsoft security lapse that resulted in unauthorized access to U.S. government agency emails, as announced by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) earlier this month.
The Cyber Safety Review Board’s examination will focus on the hostile attempts to exploit cloud services, as mentioned by the DHS.
“Organizations of all kinds are increasingly reliant on cloud computing to deliver services to the American people, which makes it imperative that we understand the vulnerabilities of that technology commented DHS Chief Alejandro Mayorkas.
This scrutiny was prompted after U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, in the previous month, urged entities like the Federal Trade Commission, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the Justice Department to take measures against Microsoft in light of the cyber intrusion.
Recent reports have brought Microsoft under the spotlight, suggesting that alleged hackers, believed to be backed by Beijing, secured one of Microsoft’s encryption keys. This allowed them to exploit a software vulnerability and gain extensive access to the firm’s cloud-based email system.
To enhance security, the Cyber Safety Review Board aims to offer guidance to institutions on safeguarding their cloud accounts from unauthorized breaches, as stated by the DHS.
