On 19 July 2024, a significant outage impacted multiple Microsoft services, including Outlook and OneDrive, leaving countless users around the globe unable to access their accounts or use these essential tools. The disruption was traced back to a configuration error during a routine update, which led to widespread service interruptions.
While the issue was eventually resolved, the incident highlighted the vulnerabilities associated with relying heavily on a single provider for critical digital infrastructure.
This event, analysed by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, emphasises the urgent need to rethink our dependence on Microsoft products and consider the potential benefits of transitioning to open-source alternatives.