BOSTON (NEWSnet/AP) — A scathing new report says "a cascade of errors" by tech giant Microsoft played a significant role in a recent Chinese cyber attack.

The Cyber Safety Review Board, created in 2021 by executive order, describes shoddy cybersecurity practices, a lax corporate culture and a lack of sincerity about the company’s knowledge of the targeted breach, which affected multiple U.S. agencies that deal with China.

Last summer's cyber breach compromised the email accounts of multiple U.S. agencies and several senior U.S. officials including Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, revealing some 60,000 emails from the State Department alone.

The hack was discovered last June by the State Department, and according to the report, Microsoft still doesn't know how the hackers got in.

According to officials, Microsoft plays a key role in the global technology ecosystem, offering essential services that support national security, public health and safety. 

The panel made sweeping recommendations, including urging Microsoft to put on hold adding features to its cloud computing environment until “substantial security improvements have been made.”

In a statement, Microsoft said it appreciated the board’s investigation and would “continue to harden all our systems against attack and implement even more robust sensors and logs to help us detect and repel the cyber-armies of our adversaries.”

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