Microsoft Corporation has recently made a decision that will impact its employees in China. The tech giant has mandated that all Chinese employees must stop using Android smartphones for work purposes and switch to using Apple iPhones instead. This move is due to concerns regarding network security and is set to sever the connection between Android devices and the workplace environment.
According to a report by Bloomberg on July 8th, Microsoft informed its employees in China that starting from September, they will be required to use iPhones for office-related tasks, effectively cutting off the use of Xiaomi, Huawei, OnePlus, and Oppo phones for work purposes.
An internal memo obtained by Bloomberg News reveals that Microsoft is implementing a policy where Chinese employees must use Apple devices for verifying their identities when logging into company devices. This measure is part of the company’s efforts to enhance the security of Microsoft products and services against potential hacking attacks. It will affect hundreds of employees in mainland China and aims to ensure all employees use the Microsoft Authenticator password manager and Identity Pass application.
Microsoft has opted to block access to company resources from these Android devices as they cannot connect to Google’s mobile services in China. In China, Google Play, the Android app store, is unavailable, leading local smartphone manufacturers like Huawei and Xiaomi to operate their own platforms. Consequently, Apple’s App Store becomes the sole source for Chinese employees to download these mandatory security applications.
According to the memo, employees using Android devices will receive an iPhone 15, with Apple devices being distributed nationwide, including Hong Kong.
A Microsoft spokesperson, in a statement shared with media outlets including Quartz, stated that “Microsoft Authenticator and Identity Pass applications are officially available on the Apple Store and Google Play store.” They further explained, “Due to the inability to use Google mobile services in the region (mainland China), we aim to provide employees with a way to access these necessary applications, such as through iOS devices.”
In April of this year, Microsoft’s Vice President of Security Execution, Charlie Bell, mentioned that the company was a “ground zero” for foreign government-supported hackers. A new initiative called the Secure Future Initiative (SFI) was launched in November last year following several cybersecurity incidents, including those orchestrated by hackers supported by the Chinese Communist Party and the Russian government. In January, Microsoft’s email system fell victim to an attack by the Russian government-supported hacker group known as “Midnight Blizzard.”
In June of last year, a group of Chinese Communist hackers named Storm-558 breached the Microsoft Exchange Online email system of 22 global organizations and over 500 individuals, including senior U.S. government officials responsible for national security. Among the government officials targeted by hackers were U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns.
In April, the Cybersecurity Review Board (CSRB) under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a report pointing out that the Chinese Communist hacker attacks on U.S. senior officials’ email systems last year were “preventable.” The report criticized Microsoft for its security vulnerabilities and lack of transparency in cybersecurity measures.
The review board recommended that Microsoft undertake security-centered reforms across all its products.