Microsoft experienced a major outage on Tuesday, affecting its Azure cloud service and 365 products. The disruption, lasting about eight hours, was caused by a DDoS attack that flooded Microsoft’s systems with excessive internet traffic. Initial suspicions were confirmed as Microsoft’s status reports noted an “unexpected usage spike.”
The company’s DDoS protection mechanisms automatically activated but ironically worsened the situation due to an error in their implementation. This amplification of the attack’s impact prolonged the outage. By 10:10 a.m. EST, network configuration changes mitigated most issues, although some customers still faced access problems until 2 p.m.
DDoS attacks are increasing in intensity, with a recent example being OVHCloud’s defense against a record-breaking attack. Such attacks use numerous devices to overwhelm internet services, causing significant disruptions. While the attackers remain unidentified, two hacktivist groups have claimed responsibility.
Microsoft plans to publish a preliminary review of the incident within 72 hours and a final report with additional details and learnings within 14 days.
