Oops! Microsoft gets 'black eye' from Teams outage
![Unified Communications](/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBeWFLRGc9PSIsImV4cCI6bnVsbCwicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--35c300f547556e99a2f96dd433fe06497298cfe9/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2QzNKbGMybDZaVWtpRFRjMU1IZzBOVEJlQmpzR1ZBPT0iLCJleHAiOm51bGwsInB1ciI6InZhcmlhdGlvbiJ9fQ==--4ce35fa8df5e8ff7a1191d752fc2a9050c82b7ee/microsoft_80658_1280%20(1).png)
Microsoft Teams users were unable to access the collaboration app for more than two hours Monday due to an expired authentication certificate. The outage is something of an embarrassment for Microsoft which is looking to compete with popular rival Slack in the workplace collaboration market.
According to Microsoft, Teams had more than 20 million daily active users as of November.
“This is definitely a black eye for Microsoft, especially when it has touted its reliability in the wake of some high-profile Slack outages in the last couple of years,” said Irwin Lazar, vice president and Service Director at Nemertes Research.
“It is surprising that Microsoft didn't renew its certificate, and it shows that as Teams rapidly grows they will have to ensure they are addressing operational issues to prevent further downtime.”
Indeed, the prompt reaction to the outage is an indication of the growing importance of Teams as more and more office workers rely on team messaging tools.
“There is nothing like taking a service down to illustrate its popularity and importance. However, this is not a best practice we recommend,” Larry Cannell, a research director at Gartner, dryly noted.
An SSL certificate enables a secure connection between a web browser or app and a server, and is required for HTTPS-enabled sites. It helps protect users against security risks such as man-in-the-middle attacks by allowing data to be encrypted. When a certificate expires, the server can’t be identified and information cannot be sent. That was the case with Teams on Monday.
“Let’s hope that Microsoft learned their lesson from this fiasco and will put in place modifications to their processes and other types of changes to prevent it from happening again,” said Cannell.
Reports of issues began at around 8:50 a.m. ET, according to the Downdetector website. At 9:19 a.m. Microsoft tweeted out confirmation from its Microsoft 365 Status account that it was investigating the outage. By then, some users were no longer able to access the application.
About an hour later Microsoft announced that it had identified the problem as an expired authentication certificate that had not been renewed. It subsequently tweeted that the fix was initiated at 11:19 a.m. and confirmed at 4 p.m. it had “successfully deployed” the solution. Most users appear were able to access Teams by midday however.
Microsoft did not issue an apology to users from the account.
The outage led to other Teams users venting even more frustrations on Twitter.
source arnnet
Industry: Unified Communications
![Banner Default Image](https://www.dclsearch.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBdytMRGc9PSIsImV4cCI6bnVsbCwicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--683221fba4088f48e5f9c99e2719b73064c09cee/banner-default.jpg)
Latest Jobs
-
- Network & Security Consultant
- Spain
- Upto €54000 per year and benefits
-
Senior Network & Security Engineer to join a Managed Network & Security Team in Europe. In this critical role, you will: Play a pivotal role in managing and securing network infrastructure across datacenters, customer connections, and on-premise deployments. Proactively monitor network and security devices, analyse incidents, and implement solutions to ensure optimal performance and security. Collaborate with colleagues and customers to troubleshoot issues, troubleshoot outages, and implement effective resolutions. Lead and participate in network system installations for new facilities and expansions. Develop and maintain network infrastructure procedures, recommend technical strategies, and propose improvements to enhance network capabilities. Stay up-to-date on the latest network and security technologies and trends. Work as part of a collaborative international team, contributing to team presentations and knowledge sharing. To be successful, you'll need: Proven expertise in Cisco network solutions (CCNP R&S/Sec/Wireless preferred)for both BAU and project work. In-depth knowledge of network security principles and experience with Fortinet firewalls. Experience deploying and managing large, complex network infrastructure (routing, switching, wireless, security). Solid understanding of ITIL v3 framework for incident, change, and problem management. Excellent troubleshooting skills with experience using Wireshark or similar protocol analysers. Strong communication and teamwork skills, with the ability to work independently and collaborate effectively.
-
- Security Analyst - Internal role. London commutable. £50,000
- London
- £50,000
-
Security Analyst - Internal role. London commutable opportunity. Operational Security - Investigate, escalate and proactively work to ensure household name remains protected. Project Security - Coordinate, log change requests with project delivery teams to meet security requirements Policy / compliance - work with team to aid in uplifting these as and where needed This role is role to investigate, escalate and proactively work to protect a globally recognised brand. You must have current hands on operational analytical security experience with Microsoft technology stack Someone with a SOC Analyst / security engineering background would be well suited. This position will join a small team and would suit someone that has broad experience across the security threat landscape. Experience / knowledge across industry GRC standards such NIST, ISO27001 etc would be advantageous. You will work across multiple teams proactively working to secure the business. Must be able to commute to Central London 3 days a week. Visa sponsorship not available Apply today to find out more.
-
- Network & Security Consultant
- Romania
- €54000 plus benefits
-
Senior Network & Security Engineer to join a Managed Network & Security Team in Europe. In this critical role, you will: Play a pivotal role in managing and securing network infrastructure across datacenters, customer connections, and on-premise deployments. Proactively monitor network and security devices, analyse incidents, and implement solutions to ensure optimal performance and security. Collaborate with colleagues and customers to troubleshoot issues, troubleshoot outages, and implement effective resolutions. Lead and participate in network system installations for new facilities and expansions. Develop and maintain network infrastructure procedures, recommend technical strategies, and propose improvements to enhance network capabilities. Stay up-to-date on the latest network and security technologies and trends. Work as part of a collaborative international team, contributing to team presentations and knowledge sharing. To be successful, you'll need: Proven expertise in Cisco network solutions (CCNP R&S/Sec/Wireless preferred) for both BAU and project work. In-depth knowledge of network security principles and experience with Fortinet firewalls. Experience deploying and managing large, complex network infrastructure (routing, switching, wireless, security). Solid understanding of ITIL v3 framework for incident, change, and problem management. Excellent troubleshooting skills with experience using Wireshark or similar protocol analysers. Strong communication and teamwork skills, with the ability to work independently and collaborate effectively.
-
- Network & Security Consultant
- Hungary
- Upto €54000 per year and benefits
-
Senior Network & Security Engineer to join a Managed Network & Security Team in Europe. In this critical role, you will: Play a pivotal role in managing and securing network infrastructure across datacenters, customer connections, and on-premise deployments. Proactively monitor network and security devices, analyse incidents, and implement solutions to ensure optimal performance and security. Collaborate with colleagues and customers to troubleshoot issues, troubleshoot outages, and implement effective resolutions. Lead and participate in network system installations for new facilities and expansions. Develop and maintain network infrastructure procedures, recommend technical strategies, and propose improvements to enhance network capabilities. Stay up-to-date on the latest network and security technologies and trends. Work as part of a collaborative international team, contributing to team presentations and knowledge sharing. To be successful, you'll need: Proven expertise in Cisco network solutions (CCNP R&S/Sec/Wireless preferred) for both BAU and project work. In-depth knowledge of network security principles and experience with Fortinet firewalls. Experience deploying and managing large, complex network infrastructure (routing, switching, wireless, security). Solid understanding of ITIL v3 framework for incident, change, and problem management. Excellent troubleshooting skills with experience using Wireshark or similar protocol analysers. Strong communication and teamwork skills, with the ability to work independently and collaborate effectively.