Microsoft orders employees in China…

Microsoft has reportedly informed its employees in China that as part of new security measures, they will only be able to use Apple iPhones for work purposes as part of a phone exchange, and all Android devices will be replaced from September.

According to an internal memo he saw BloombergMicrosoft has ordered its employees in China to use Apple devices to verify their identities when logging in to their work computers and phones.

Employees using Android phones, including those from Huawei and Xiaomi, will receive iPhone 15.

The decision highlights the fragmentation of the Android ecosystem in China, where Google products, including the Play Store and related digital services, are banned.

This led to local vendors developing their own Android platforms, such as Xiaomi’s HyperOS and Huawei’s HarmonyOS.

In its note, Microsoft said it had decided to block enterprises’ access to Chinese platforms due to the lack of access to Google’s mobile services.

The order is also part of the company’s Secure Future Initiative, which Microsoft Senior Vice President of Security Charlie Bell previously said aims to curb “identity-centric espionage” and criminal activity to address the growing number of cyberattacks on enterprises.

Microsoft suffered a hack that compromised its corporate email systems and government data in January, with the company saying Russian intelligence was behind the attack.