Microsoft cloud background check

  • Article

A Microsoft Cloud Background Check is required for candidates hired as employees that provide and maintain Microsoft online services in the United States. Microsoft employees in the United States with access to customer data must follow the Microsoft Cloud Background Check process required by all Microsoft online services. Outside of the United States, the process varies. For example, the Microsoft Cloud for Germany uses a Data Trustee approval model, designed to ensure that the Data Trustee (a German company), and not Microsoft, is in control of access to customer data. The Microsoft Cloud in Germany is delivered from datacenters in Germany, and the Operations Centers (OC) containing the technical staff of the Data Trustee are also in Germany. Both the datacenter and the OC facilities are operated, maintained, and controlled by the Data Trustee.

To the extent permissible by local law, the following checks are performed as part of the Microsoft Cloud Background Check.

  • United States: Social Security Number trace
  • Criminal history checks up to seven years for felony and misdemeanor offenses at the state, county, and local levels, and at the federal level if appropriate in the United States. An international criminal history check (dependent on local law) is applicable for areas outside of the United States.
  • Global sanctions and enforcement check, including Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) list, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) list, and Office of Defense Trade Controls Debarred Persons (DDTC) list checks.

The results from the Microsoft Cloud Background Check are stored in our employee database and connected to our datacenter access control systems. If the Microsoft Cloud Background Check expires and the employee does not renew it, access to Microsoft services is revoked and no longer available until the Microsoft Cloud Background Check is completed. When the employment relationship with Microsoft ends, all datacenter access is immediately revoked.

All employees with physical or logical access to the environments that run United States Government services are required to have their United States citizenship verified. To verify citizenship, a background screen is ordered by Microsoft for employees and/or new hire candidates in Microsoft’s background screening provider’s system. The employee and/or new hire candidate will be required to provide an unexpired US Passport which will be validated within the background screening provider’s system. The verified results are recorded in Microsoft’s HR systems.

Personnel with logical access to Microsoft online services for the U.S. Government Community Cloud are required to comply with federal government requirements of the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS), including personnel screening. CJIS screening in support of the Microsoft 365 U.S. Government service includes a fingerprint-based criminal background check adjudicated by the CJIS system agency designated adjudicator in states that have enrolled in the Microsoft Online Services CJIS support program.

Periodic rescreening

Periodic rescreening and/or additional background checks may be required for certain management, security, or other roles, including employees in roles that require access to customer data.

Resources