On July 10, 2025, Microsoft 365 experienced a significant outage that disrupted services for thousands of users worldwide. The incident began around 5 a.m. GMT, with users reporting sudden logouts from their Outlook email accounts and error messages indicating invalid Microsoft licenses, despite up-to-date payments. This disruption affected daily work activities, as users were unable to send or receive emails through Outlook or Gmail.
This outage occurred shortly after Microsoft announced changes to its Authenticator app, which would no longer support password storage and autofill, focusing instead on passwordless login systems like facial recognition and device approval.
Microsoft confirmed the outage through its official service status account and stated that investigations were ongoing. As of the latest reports, no official resolution time had been provided.
This incident is part of a series of outages affecting Microsoft services in recent years. In July 2024, a faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike led to a global IT outage, causing widespread crashes of Microsoft Windows systems and disrupting various industries, including air travel. Delta Air Lines, for example, experienced over 7,000 flight cancellations and estimated losses exceeding $500 million. (en.wikipedia.org)
In August 2024, Microsoft 365 and Azure services faced another significant global outage due to a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack. An error in Microsoft's defense mechanisms amplified the impact of the attack, leading to a nine-hour disruption affecting critical services such as Microsoft Entra, Intune, Power BI, and Power Platform. (messageware.com)
These recurring outages highlight the vulnerabilities associated with cloud computing and the reliance on third-party services. They underscore the importance of robust redundancy and backup systems to mitigate the impact of such disruptions. Organizations are encouraged to invest in comprehensive cybersecurity measures and develop contingency plans to ensure business continuity in the face of potential outages.
As Microsoft continues to investigate the July 10, 2025, outage, users are advised to stay informed through official channels and consider implementing additional safeguards to protect their operations from future disruptions.
Source: Tribune Online Microsoft 365 crashes, locks users out of Outlook