July 8th, 2024

Microsoft Orders China Staff to Use iPhones for Work and Drop Android

Microsoft mandates employees in China to switch to iPhones for work by September, enhancing cybersecurity through Apple devices for identity verification. The move aligns with broader security initiatives against cyber threats.

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Microsoft Orders China Staff to Use iPhones for Work and Drop Android

Microsoft has instructed its employees in China to switch from using Android phones to iPhones for work purposes starting in September. This move aims to enhance cybersecurity by requiring staff to use Apple devices for identity verification when logging in. The decision, outlined in an internal memo, is part of Microsoft's broader initiative to bolster the security of its products and services against potential cyber threats, particularly from state-sponsored hackers. The transition will impact hundreds of employees in mainland China, ensuring that all personnel utilize Microsoft's Authenticator password manager and Identity Pass app. This shift underscores Microsoft's proactive approach to safeguarding its operations and data integrity in the face of increasing cybersecurity challenges globally.

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Link Icon 4 comments
By @londons_explore - 6 months
> Microsoft has chosen to block access from those devices to its corporate resources because they lack Google’s mobile services in the country, the message said.

Basically the companies internal apps require Google play services, which don't work properly in China.

They don't work properly due to being blocked by the Chinese government due to a dispute stemming from cyberattack by China on Google in ~2012.

Buying everyone an iPhone at the cost of presumably $Millions seems like an expensive workaround.

By @Daedren - 6 months
Android in China is a very very different Android from what the west is used to.

If their Authenticator and Identity Pass app are stuck to Google Play Services, it's surely more risk adverse to give all chinese employees iPhones than to rewrite those apps to take into account the very large amount of OEM SDKs and secondary platform/ecosystem SDKs just to get push notifications everywhere.

By @chrisjj - 6 months