The United States is reviewing the involvement of Chinese nationals in managing sensitive cloud services for the military, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Wednesday. The move follows a ProPublica investigation revealing that Microsoft employed contractors in China and other countries to maintain Defense Department cloud systems, Al Jazeera reported.

Hegseth said a formal letter of concern has been sent to Microsoft, and a third-party audit of its digital escort program is underway to check for potential security breaches. He also directed software providers to end any Chinese involvement in Defense Department systems, calling the measure “common sense” for protecting national security.