Microsoft has confirmed that its Microsoft 365 platform, along with several Azure services, experienced significant disruptions after a cyberattack was attempted on its infrastructure.
This global incident unfolded when a Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack engaged Microsoft’s internal defense mechanisms, leading to widespread outages for users worldwide.
In an unusually candid statement, the tech giant acknowledged that these protective measures may have aggravated the situation instead of providing relief from it.
The Azure Cyber Incident
“Between approximately 11:45 UTC and 19:43 UTC on July 30, 2024, certain users faced challenges connecting to various Microsoft services worldwide,” stated an update posted on the official Azure status page.
The affected services included key offerings such as Azure App Services, Application Insights, Azure IoT Central, and the Azure portal itself in addition to parts of both Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Purview services.
The company pointed out that there was an “unexpected surge in usage” affecting both Azure Front Door (AFD) and the Content Delivery Network (CDN), which led to performance issues such as outages and increased latency times for users.
Upon detection of this attack, Microsoft quickly initiated an investigation. They reported managing to contain the fallout within about ninety minutes. The initial fix was rolled out across networks in Asia Pacific and Europe before implementing a global solution. By roughly eight hours post-incident, they indicated operations were stabilizing again.
This disruption occurred shortly after a problematic security update from CrowdStrike had already taken down potentially millions of devices connected to Microsoft’s systems around the globe. As a result, Microsoft is understandably vigilant regarding any emerging threats during this period.
The organization has committed to conducting a comprehensive internal review aimed at gaining deeper insights into this incident. They plan to issue an initial report within days followed by a more detailed analysis within two weeks.
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