Microsoft is mandating that its employees in China switch to company-supplied iPhone 15 devices for work as part of its cybersecurity strategy. This means all China-based employees must cease using Android phones for work and transition to Apple iPhones.
To enhance security, Microsoft staff in China must also use the Microsoft Authenticator password manager and Identity Pass app on their iPhones to verify their identities for logging into work devices. Access via Android will no longer be available.
The company communicated this change through an internal memo, as reported by Bloomberg. Each affected employee will receive an iPhone 15, which can be picked up at designated locations in Mainland China or Hong Kong. Consequently, mobile phones from brands like Xiaomi, Huawei, Redmi, OnePlus, and Oppo will no longer be permitted.
Microsoft explained to the sources that the shift is necessary because the required apps are only available through Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store. “Microsoft Authenticator and Identity Pass apps are officially available on the Apple and Google Play stores. Due to the lack of availability of Google Mobile Services in this region, we look to offer employees a means of accessing these required apps, such as an iOS device,” a Microsoft representative stated.
This change is part of Microsoft’s Secure Future Initiative, launched in November 2023 to enhance its cybersecurity standards. Despite this policy, Russian hackers managed to breach Microsoft’s corporate email systems earlier this year. Additionally, a third-party cybersecurity firm accessed internal Microsoft data on an Azure cloud server that lacked a password back in February.
After a seven-month review, US federal regulators concluded in April that Microsoft needs to implement “fundamental” reforms to its cybersecurity policies. The review board attributed a China-backed email hack to Microsoft’s corporate culture, where Chinese hackers forged Microsoft authentication tokens to breach US government Outlook accounts.
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