Microsoft Azure Outage Triggered by Cyberattack, Impacting Global Services
On July 30, 2024, a distributed denial of service (DDoS) cyberattack caused a global outage of Microsoft Azure, affecting various services for consumers and organizations worldwide. The outage, which began around 7:45 a.m. EST, impacted platforms including Microsoft 365, Purview, and services like Outlook and the Starbucks mobile app. Microsoft confirmed the attack and noted that an error in the platform's defense response may have exacerbated the issue, leading to nearly eight hours of downtime. Although the extent of the disruption varied, companies and services across multiple sectors reported issues, with some resolving them within hours. Microsoft apologized for the inconvenience and plans to release a preliminary post-incident report within 72 hours. This incident comes on the heels of previous cybersecurity challenges for Microsoft, including criticism of its security practices following a breach involving Chinese cyber operators earlier this year.