WASHINGTON, June 13 (Reuters) - Microsoft ( MSFT )

President Brad Smith appeared before the House of

Representatives panel on homeland security on Thursday, where he

will field questions about the company's security practices

after Chinese hackers breached its systems past year.

China-linked hackers stole 60,000 U.S. State Department

emails last year by breaking into the tech giant's systems,

while a Russian group separately spied on Microsoft's ( MSFT ) senior

staff emails earlier this year, according to the company's

disclosures.

In a scathing report in April, the Cyber Safety Review Board

- formed by U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro

Mayorkas - slammed Microsoft ( MSFT ) for its lack of transparency over

the Chinese hack, which the board said had been preventable.

The world's biggest software-maker, which is also a key

vendor to the U.S. government and national security

establishment, has faced similar criticism from its security

industry peers.

Lawmakers plan to examine Microsoft's ( MSFT ) security lapses,

challenges in ensuring defending against cyberattacks, and plans

to improve its security measures, the House panel for homeland

security said in an earlier statement. They will also discuss

the findings and recommendations of the board report following

the Chinese hack.

"Since this is not the first time Microsoft ( MSFT ) has been the

victim of an avoidable cyberattack, and in light of the CSRB's

report, it is now Congress's responsibility to examine

Microsoft's ( MSFT ) response to this report," Congressman Mark Green

from Mississippi, who chairs the panel on homeland security,

said in his opening statement.

"Mr. Smith, as a long-time, key leader within Microsoft ( MSFT ), I

anticipate that you will help us understand the gaps that

enabled these recent cyber intrusions."

Microsoft's ( MSFT ) presence in China will also be a focus.

"Over the years, Microsoft ( MSFT ) has invested heavily in China

setting up research incentives, including the Microsoft Research

Asia center in Beijing," Green said.

"Microsoft's ( MSFT ) presence in China creates a mix of complex

challenges and risks. We have to talk about that today."

Following the board's criticisms, Microsoft ( MSFT ) had said it was

working on improving its processes and enforce security

benchmarks. In November it launched a new cybersecurity

initiative it said was aimed at preparing against the

"increasing scale and high stakes of cyberattacks."

"We are making security our top priority at Microsoft ( MSFT ), above

all else - over all other features," the company said at the

time.