Microsoft users worldwide, including banks and airlines, experienced widespread outages on Friday. The technology company stated that it was working on resolving an issue affecting access to Microsoft 365 apps and services. Despite Microsoft’s efforts to fix the problem, escalating outages were still being reported globally.
The exact cause and scale of the outage remained unclear. DownDetector, a website that tracks user-reported internet outages, recorded growing service disruptions at Visa, ADT security, Amazon, American Airlines, and Delta. In Australia, airlines, telecommunications providers, banks, and media broadcasters were affected as they lost access to computer systems. Some New Zealand banks also reported being offline.
Microsoft 365 indicated that they were rerouting impacted traffic to alternate systems to reduce the impact quickly. They mentioned observing a positive trend in service availability but did not provide further details on the cause of the outage.
Australian outages included major banks like NAB, Commonwealth, and Bendigo, as well as airlines like Virgin Australia and Qantas. Internet and phone providers such as Telstra were also affected. News outlets in Australia, such as ABC and Sky News, experienced disruptions in broadcasting on their TV and radio channels. Additionally, there were reports of sudden shutdowns of Windows-based computers.
An alert from the company Crowdstrike indicated that there were reports of crashes on Windows hosts related to its Falcon Sensor platform. However, the alert was posted on a password-protected site and could not be verified. Crowdstrike did not respond to requests for comment on the matter.
The impact of the Microsoft outage on global communication networks highlighted the vulnerabilities of relying on a single technology provider for essential services. Businesses and organizations worldwide were reminded of the importance of having contingency plans in place to mitigate disruptions in the event of such incidents. The incident also raised questions about the need for greater transparency from technology companies regarding the causes of outages and their efforts to address them promptly.
As technology continues to play a crucial role in our daily lives, ensuring the resilience and reliability of digital infrastructure becomes increasingly important. The Microsoft outage serves as a wake-up call for businesses and individuals to assess their reliance on specific technology platforms and consider diversifying their options to minimize the impact of future disruptions.
