A widespread Microsoft outage has caused chaos across Australia, impacting a wide range of institutions, including universities, government agencies, banks, airlines, and police systems. The outage, which began on Friday afternoon, has been traced back to an issue with a third-party security sensor managed by cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike.
Universities and Government Agencies Also Affected
Tens of Australian universities have reported disruptions, sending alerts to students and staff about Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) errors and other issues. The outages have impacted IT systems critical for the day-to-day operations of these educational institutions, potentially disrupting online classes, administrative tasks, and access to educational resources.
Government agencies have also been affected, with some internal systems of the Victorian state police hit by the outage. However, emergency services remain operational.
The Australian government is actively involved in addressing the outage. In a statement, officials confirmed they are working closely with the National Cyber Security Coordinator to manage the situation.
The government emphasized that there is no evidence to suggest the outage is related to a cybersecurity incident. The National Emergency Mechanism Group is set to meet to further coordinate the response.
Airline Operations Disrupted
Both Sydney and Melbourne airports have confirmed that the outage has impacted their operations. Sydney Airport released a statement indicating that while flights are arriving and departing, delays are expected throughout the evening. Passengers have been advised to allow extra time for check-in and to stay updated on their flight status with their respective airlines.
Virgin Australia acknowledged the impact on its operations and is working to resolve the issue as soon as possible. Melbourne Airport also advised passengers to check with their airlines and allow extra time for check-in procedures.
Impact on Other Sectors
In addition to universities and airlines, the outage has affected banks, supermarkets, and media outlets. Institutions like Commonwealth Bank, Optus, and Australia Post are experiencing significant disruptions. The public service sector, including Services NSW, has also been hit, with customers being turned away due to system failures.
Cause of the Outage
The issue, which began on Friday afternoon, has been traced back to a problem with a third-party security sensor managed by global cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike, running on Microsoft cloud services.
The outage, which began around 3 PM on Friday, has impacted institutions like Commonwealth Bank, Optus, and Australia Post, among others.
Crowdstrike has posted updates on their support site, identifying the cause as a problem with “content deployment.”
The firm has since tried to revert the changes that caused the outage and provided a workaround for affected users.
No Evidence of Cyberattack
National Cyber Security Coordinator Michelle McGuinness has reassured the public that there is no indication of a cyberattack. “Our current information is that this outage relates to a technical issue with a third-party software platform employed by affected companies,” she said in a statement on X. McGuinness continues to engage with key stakeholders to manage the situation.
Ongoing Efforts
As the situation evolves, organizations and government bodies are implementing contingency plans to mitigate the impact of the outage. Additional staff have been deployed at affected airports to assist passengers, and institutions are working to restore normal operations as quickly as possible.
This incident highlights the critical dependence on IT systems in modern operations and underscores the importance of robust cybersecurity measures and contingency planning.