A major Microsoft outage triggered widespread disruptions today. Computer malfunctions caused grounded flights, halted operations at banks and stock exchanges, and impacted payment systems and even emergency services. The outage lasted roughly six hours before Microsoft acknowledged the issue on social media. They reported progress in restoring services, with several functionalities gradually coming back online.
Downdetector, a platform tracking online service disruptions, saw a surge in reports, exceeding 900. The majority (74 percent) of users faced problems with OneDrive, Microsoft's cloud storage service. Server connection issues affected a significant portion (16 percent), while email access through Outlook was down for another 10 percent.
According to Microsoft's Service Health Status updates, a configuration change within its Azure cloud platform is believed to be the culprit. This change disrupted the connection between storage and computing resources, ultimately leading to connectivity failures for dependent Microsoft 365 services.
Here’s what CrowdStrike said
George Kurtz, President & CEO of CrowdStrike, addressed the ongoing Microsoft outage. He stated that CrowdStrike was actively assisting customers affected by a flaw discovered in a recent Windows host content update. He emphasised that neither Mac nor Linux hosts were impacted.
He clarified that this was not a security breach or cyberattack. CrowdStrike had identified, isolated the issue, and deployed a fix. He advised customers to visit the support portal for the latest updates and assured them of continuous updates on their website.
Additionally, he recommended that organisations maintain communication with CrowdStrike representatives solely through official channels. Finally, he reassured everyone that their team was fully dedicated to ensuring the security and stability of CrowdStrike customers.
Meanwhile, IT Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, said that the ministry is communicating with Microsoft regarding the global outage. The cause has been identified and the updates have been released. In addition to this, a technical advisory from India's cyber agency, CERT-In, is coming. He further said that the government's NIC network remains unaffected.
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