Despite doubts, federal cyber experts approved Microsoft cloud service
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Re: Despite doubts, federal cyber experts approved Microsoft cloud service
#2The original title is:
> Federal Cyber Experts Thought Microsoft’s Cloud Was “a Pile of Shit.” They Approved It Anyway.
Re: Despite doubts, federal cyber experts approved Microsoft cloud service
#3Wow, Microsoft is really pushing the wrong boundaries in every direction, isn't it? Executives must be thinking, like many before them, that Microsoft is too big to fail.
Re: Despite doubts, federal cyber experts approved Microsoft cloud service
#4Wow, Microsoft is really pushing the wrong boundaries in every direction, isn't it? Executives must be thinking, like many before them, that Microsoft is too big to fail.
Executives only react to share price movements. If share prices are high because whatever investors think, then execs will just open another champagne bottle.
Steve Jobs was the last tech CEO who didn't care about wall street and only care about quality products and consumers saying that if customers are happy, then the share price will take care of itself. But most companies are share price first, customer later.
Re: Despite doubts, federal cyber experts approved Microsoft cloud service
#5> [...]And because federal agencies were allowed to deploy the product during the review, GCC High spread across the government as well as the defense industry. By late 2024, FedRAMP reviewers concluded that they had little choice but to authorize the technology — not because their questions had been answered or their review was complete, but largely on the grounds that Microsoft’s product was already being used across Washington.
This sounds like the crux of the issue. The combination of: "tool can be used during analysis" and "analysis takes long" shifts the barrier of rejection from "is this tool safe?" to "is this tool so unsafe that we're willing to start a fight with a lot of other government agencies to remove it, find an alternative, etc?".
Not criticizing FedRAMP. Proper security review takes time. And probably more when dealing with vendors.
Re: Despite doubts, federal cyber experts approved Microsoft cloud service
#6I think plenty of software is a pile of shit and still derive value from it.
Re: Despite doubts, federal cyber experts approved Microsoft cloud service
#7I'm guessing the requirements were written in a way that only Microsoft's cloud could with the bid.
Thats why you have Windows in the Pentagon instead of something secure.
Re: Despite doubts, federal cyber experts approved Microsoft cloud service
#8The Justice Department CIO who pressured FedRAMP to approve GCC High was hired by Microsoft the next year. I wonder if this shouldn't invalidate the authorization in the first place?
Re: Despite doubts, federal cyber experts approved Microsoft cloud service
#9> By late 2024, FedRAMP reviewers concluded that they had little choice but to authorize the technology — not because their questions had been answered or their review was complete, but largely on the grounds that Microsoft’s product was already being used across Washington.
The article talks a lot about conflicts of interest, but this is the line I went looking for. A bureaucracy fighting itself over goal prioritization, and what's a necessary roadblock vs red tape is the less sexy but more meaningful problem at the core of this.
Once the government decided they wanted the product, they were going to find a patsy.
Re: Despite doubts, federal cyber experts approved Microsoft cloud service
#10I think plenty of software is a pile of shit and still derive value from it.
Exactly, better the pile of shit you know than the pile of shit you don’t know - or the pile of shit that is u knowable.