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Microsoft says early June disruptions to Outlook, cloud platform, were cyberattacks

by Joshua Brown
4 comments
cyberattacks

Microsoft has revealed that the service disruptions experienced in early June, which affected Outlook, OneDrive, and their cloud computing platform, were the result of cyberattacks. Initially, Microsoft was reluctant to disclose the cause, but they have now confirmed that distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks carried out by a hacktivist group called Anonymous Sudan were responsible.

The software giant has provided limited details about the attacks, including the number of affected customers and the global impact. However, they did confirm that no customer data was accessed or compromised. Anonymous Sudan claimed responsibility for the attacks on their Telegram social media channel, although some security researchers suspect the group to have Russian ties.

In a blog post, Microsoft explained that the attacks temporarily impacted the availability of some services. The attackers focused on disruption and publicity, utilizing rented cloud infrastructure, virtual private networks, and botnets of zombie computers to launch the DDoS attacks on Microsoft servers worldwide.

While DDoS attacks primarily serve as a nuisance by rendering websites unreachable, they can have significant consequences when targeting a software service giant like Microsoft, upon which global commerce heavily relies. The actual impact of these attacks on Microsoft’s services remains unclear, as the company has not provided specific information regarding the scale of disruption.

Jake Williams, a prominent cybersecurity researcher, expressed the need for Microsoft to share objective measurements of the customer impact. Without such information, it is challenging to assess the full extent of the attacks. Williams also highlighted that previous large-scale attacks on Outlook were not widely known.

Microsoft referred to the attackers as Storm-1359, a designation used for groups whose affiliation has not been determined. Identifying the perpetrators in cybersecurity investigations takes time, especially when facing skilled adversaries.

There have been similar DDoS attacks conducted by pro-Russian hacking groups like Killnet, which Mandiant, a cybersecurity firm, associates with the Kremlin. These groups have targeted government and allied websites of Ukraine, as well as U.S. airport sites in the past. Analysts believe that Anonymous Sudan is likely collaborating with Killnet and other pro-Kremlin groups to spread pro-Russian propaganda and disinformation. The claim made by Anonymous Sudan that it is located in Sudan, an African country, is doubted by cybersecurity experts.

Edward Amoroso, CEO of TAG Cyber and a professor at NYU, emphasized the significant risk posed by DDoS attacks, stating that it remains an unsolved problem that is often ignored. The recent incident involving Microsoft exposes a potential single point of failure, and Amoroso recommends distributing services widely, such as using a content distribution network, as the best defense against these attacks.

The techniques employed by the attackers are not new, with one dating back to 2009, according to U.K. security researcher Kevin Beaumont.

The disruptions caused by the cyberattacks were severe, with reports of over 18,000 outages and problems related to the Microsoft 365 office suite on June 5. Microsoft confirmed on June 9 that their Azure cloud computing platform was also affected. Additionally, there were reports of a global outage of cloud-based OneDrive file-hosting on June 8, although Microsoft stated that desktop OneDrive clients remained unaffected.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about cyberattacks

What caused the service disruptions to Microsoft’s Outlook, OneDrive, and cloud platform in early June?

Microsoft has confirmed that the disruptions were caused by cyberattacks, specifically distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. The hacktivist group Anonymous Sudan claimed responsibility for flooding the sites with junk traffic, leading to temporary unavailability of some services.

Were any customer data accessed or compromised during the cyberattacks?

No, according to Microsoft, there is no evidence to suggest that any customer data was accessed or compromised during the cyberattacks. The focus of the attacks was on disruption and publicity rather than data breaches.

How did Microsoft respond to the cyberattacks?

Microsoft initially remained reticent about the cause of the disruptions but later disclosed that DDoS attacks by Anonymous Sudan were to blame. They have provided limited details about the attacks, including their impact on customers and the extent of the global reach. However, Microsoft has acknowledged the disruptions and stated that measures were taken to mitigate the attacks.

Are DDoS attacks a significant risk to software service giants like Microsoft?

Yes, DDoS attacks can pose significant risks to software service giants like Microsoft. While these attacks mainly aim to render websites unreachable without penetrating them, they can disrupt the work of millions of users and impact global commerce that relies on such services.

How does Microsoft plan to prevent future cyberattacks of this nature?

Microsoft has not provided specific details about their future prevention plans for similar cyberattacks. However, it is generally recommended to distribute services widely, such as utilizing content distribution networks, to defend against DDoS attacks and minimize the impact of such incidents.

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4 comments

TechGeek90 June 18, 2023 - 9:10 am

DDoS attaks are serius! they can mess up everything! Im glad Microsft is figting against it and trying to distribute their services. we need more securty!

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CyberNinja June 18, 2023 - 12:42 pm

omg! Microsft got attcked by cyberattcks? thats so scary! but at least they said no customer data was accessed or compromisd! thats a relief!

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InfoSecPro June 18, 2023 - 1:53 pm

It’s always a concrn when big companis like Microsft get hit by cyberattcks. DDoS can be realy troublsome, espicially for global services. It’s good that they’re taking it seriusly and investigatng the attaks.

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GrammarPolice June 18, 2023 - 9:17 pm

There are some gramar and spelling mistaks in this text. “reticent” is misspelled, and sentences should start with capital letters and end with proper punctuation. It’s important to proofread for accuracy and clarity.

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