US consumer protection agency bans employee mobile calls amid Chinese hack fears

The US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has issued an urgent directive barring employees and contractors from using mobile phones for work-related calls, following a major breach in US telecommunications infrastructure attributed to Chinese-linked hackers.

According to an internal memo, CFPB’s chief information officer advised staff to move sensitive discussions to secure platforms like Microsoft Teams and Cisco WebEx, reported the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).