AUTUMN&WINTER
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One thing good about it, I received very few emails today. Not as busy as usual.
Microsoft outage
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yperic
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Australian spy agency, federal police caught up in Microsoft outage
Even Australia's intelligence and law enforcement agencies have not been spared the Microsoft outage.
Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Director-General Mike Burgess and Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett confirmed at a news conference that their organisations had been affected.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the Australian government had activated an agreement with Microsoft to ensure the country's interests were prioritised in efforts to restore services.
Microsoft had also told him it did not believe the outage was caused by a cyberattack, Reuters reported.
"There is good security work that is done with Microsoft as a business and when it came to the formal cyber agreements which I've signed on behalf of Australia, the first of those was with Microsoft," Burke said.
"That agreement has in fact been activated today to make sure that we get appropriate prioritisation of Australian interests in this."
Microsoft outage affects some government systems in Singapore
The Microsoft outage has affected some government systems in Singapore, including email, GovTech has just confirmed.
The agency said it is working with Microsoft to restore services as soon as possible, but assured the public that emergency services remain fully operational.
Emergency hotlines 995 and 999 are functioning as usual, while Singpass has also been unaffected.
However, the email disruption could lead to delays in responses to public enquiries.
"For urgent matters, members of the public can contact the agency through other channels, such as its call centre," said GovTech.
Meanwhile, public officers can continue using Microsoft Teams for internal communications, GovTech said.
The agency added that it would provide further updates when more information becomes available.
"Most things are done over email": Work slows at statutory board
Work has slowed for some public sector employees in Singapore amid the Microsoft outage, although one worker said the timing of the disruption offered a small reprieve.
"Our work is hampered as most things are done over email. Luckily, this happened on a Friday when the pace tends to be slower," said a 31-year-old communications officer at a statutory board, who declined to be named.
"If it was a Monday, we would have a large backlog of work."
The officer said he had received an advisory from his managers urging staff to take additional cybersecurity precautions, including avoiding suspicious links related to the outage and password reset requests sent through platforms such as Teams, WhatsApp and Outlook.
Employees were also advised to turn on their cameras during online meetings and check that there were no unidentified participants.
Looking ahead, the officer said he hoped organisations would put contingency plans in place to prepare for future outages involving Microsoft or other business applications, although he was unsure what such measures might look like.
How we're working around the Microsoft outage
The Microsoft outage has also changed how we're going about our work here at CNA.
With email communications disrupted, we've had to turn to other ways of reaching newsmakers and seeking updates, including using WhatsApp to contact government agencies.
We've reached out to the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore Police Force, Singapore Civil Defence Force, Land Transport Authority, National Environment Agency and National Parks Board to find out whether their operations and public services have been affected.
We've also asked what contingency measures they have put in place to minimise disruptions.
Even Australia's intelligence and law enforcement agencies have not been spared the Microsoft outage.
Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Director-General Mike Burgess and Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett confirmed at a news conference that their organisations had been affected.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the Australian government had activated an agreement with Microsoft to ensure the country's interests were prioritised in efforts to restore services.
Microsoft had also told him it did not believe the outage was caused by a cyberattack, Reuters reported.
"There is good security work that is done with Microsoft as a business and when it came to the formal cyber agreements which I've signed on behalf of Australia, the first of those was with Microsoft," Burke said.
"That agreement has in fact been activated today to make sure that we get appropriate prioritisation of Australian interests in this."
Microsoft outage affects some government systems in Singapore
The Microsoft outage has affected some government systems in Singapore, including email, GovTech has just confirmed.
The agency said it is working with Microsoft to restore services as soon as possible, but assured the public that emergency services remain fully operational.
Emergency hotlines 995 and 999 are functioning as usual, while Singpass has also been unaffected.
However, the email disruption could lead to delays in responses to public enquiries.
"For urgent matters, members of the public can contact the agency through other channels, such as its call centre," said GovTech.
Meanwhile, public officers can continue using Microsoft Teams for internal communications, GovTech said.
The agency added that it would provide further updates when more information becomes available.
"Most things are done over email": Work slows at statutory board
Work has slowed for some public sector employees in Singapore amid the Microsoft outage, although one worker said the timing of the disruption offered a small reprieve.
"Our work is hampered as most things are done over email. Luckily, this happened on a Friday when the pace tends to be slower," said a 31-year-old communications officer at a statutory board, who declined to be named.
"If it was a Monday, we would have a large backlog of work."
The officer said he had received an advisory from his managers urging staff to take additional cybersecurity precautions, including avoiding suspicious links related to the outage and password reset requests sent through platforms such as Teams, WhatsApp and Outlook.
Employees were also advised to turn on their cameras during online meetings and check that there were no unidentified participants.
Looking ahead, the officer said he hoped organisations would put contingency plans in place to prepare for future outages involving Microsoft or other business applications, although he was unsure what such measures might look like.
How we're working around the Microsoft outage
The Microsoft outage has also changed how we're going about our work here at CNA.
With email communications disrupted, we've had to turn to other ways of reaching newsmakers and seeking updates, including using WhatsApp to contact government agencies.
We've reached out to the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore Police Force, Singapore Civil Defence Force, Land Transport Authority, National Environment Agency and National Parks Board to find out whether their operations and public services have been affected.
We've also asked what contingency measures they have put in place to minimise disruptions.
luei74
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Medicated Oil
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luei74
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yperic
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Microsoft outage disrupts email services at DBS, UOB, OCBC
The global Microsoft outage has affected some banks in Singapore, with DBS and UOB reporting email disruptions that could delay responses to customers.
In a recorded message on its customer service hotline, DBS said its email services had been affected, warning that responses to customer enquiries could take longer than usual.
The bank advised customers to check transaction notifications through the DBS/POSB digibank app, while wealth clients were encouraged to contact their relationship managers.
"We apologise for any inconvenience caused while Microsoft works to resolve the issue," DBS said.
UOB also reported email connectivity issues in a Facebook post, advising customers with urgent enquiries or awaiting time-sensitive responses to contact their relationship managers by phone or call its customer service hotline.
The bank apologised for the inconvenience.
OCBC's email services are similarly impacted. The bank advised customers to contact the bank via alternate channels such as its contact centre hotline and relationship managers.
Search for answers continues
Microsoft said it is reviewing how traffic is routed across its infrastructure as it investigates the ongoing disruption to its services.
This will help the tech giant identify ways to improve routing and restore stability.
The update comes about half an hour after Microsoft said its latest recovery measures had not worked as expected and that it was exploring alternative solutions to address persistent imbalances in network traffic.
Microsoft outage highlights risks of relying on a single tech provider: Expert
The global Microsoft outage has exposed the risks businesses face when relying too heavily on a single technology provider, a cybersecurity expert has warned.
Nicky Choo, vice president and general manager for Asia-Pacific at cybersecurity firm Mimecast, told CNA's Asia Now that while depending on major technology providers offers convenience, disruptions can leave businesses vulnerable.
"Depending on one person or one player, one provider, for all your business requirements, do carry with it its own risks," he said.
Choo noted that the impact of such outages goes beyond employees being unable to send emails or join virtual meetings.
With technology underpinning many day-to-day business processes, disruptions can affect customer communications, collaboration among colleagues and overall productivity.
"Business just comes to a standstill," he said, warning that the financial impact on organisations could be significant.
As more businesses across Asia-Pacific move their operations to the cloud, Choo urged companies to reassess their reliance on a single provider.
While cloud technology offers greater agility and flexibility, businesses must also consider how they would continue operating if critical services became unavailable.
He noted that such outages are not unique to Microsoft, with other major technology providers having experienced similar disruptions.
The key lesson, he said, is for businesses to diversify their technology dependencies and put contingency plans in place to minimise the impact of future outages.
Watch his interview on CNA's Asia Now:
The global Microsoft outage has affected some banks in Singapore, with DBS and UOB reporting email disruptions that could delay responses to customers.
In a recorded message on its customer service hotline, DBS said its email services had been affected, warning that responses to customer enquiries could take longer than usual.
The bank advised customers to check transaction notifications through the DBS/POSB digibank app, while wealth clients were encouraged to contact their relationship managers.
"We apologise for any inconvenience caused while Microsoft works to resolve the issue," DBS said.
UOB also reported email connectivity issues in a Facebook post, advising customers with urgent enquiries or awaiting time-sensitive responses to contact their relationship managers by phone or call its customer service hotline.
The bank apologised for the inconvenience.
OCBC's email services are similarly impacted. The bank advised customers to contact the bank via alternate channels such as its contact centre hotline and relationship managers.
Search for answers continues
Microsoft said it is reviewing how traffic is routed across its infrastructure as it investigates the ongoing disruption to its services.
This will help the tech giant identify ways to improve routing and restore stability.
The update comes about half an hour after Microsoft said its latest recovery measures had not worked as expected and that it was exploring alternative solutions to address persistent imbalances in network traffic.
Microsoft outage highlights risks of relying on a single tech provider: Expert
The global Microsoft outage has exposed the risks businesses face when relying too heavily on a single technology provider, a cybersecurity expert has warned.
Nicky Choo, vice president and general manager for Asia-Pacific at cybersecurity firm Mimecast, told CNA's Asia Now that while depending on major technology providers offers convenience, disruptions can leave businesses vulnerable.
"Depending on one person or one player, one provider, for all your business requirements, do carry with it its own risks," he said.
Choo noted that the impact of such outages goes beyond employees being unable to send emails or join virtual meetings.
With technology underpinning many day-to-day business processes, disruptions can affect customer communications, collaboration among colleagues and overall productivity.
"Business just comes to a standstill," he said, warning that the financial impact on organisations could be significant.
As more businesses across Asia-Pacific move their operations to the cloud, Choo urged companies to reassess their reliance on a single provider.
While cloud technology offers greater agility and flexibility, businesses must also consider how they would continue operating if critical services became unavailable.
He noted that such outages are not unique to Microsoft, with other major technology providers having experienced similar disruptions.
The key lesson, he said, is for businesses to diversify their technology dependencies and put contingency plans in place to minimise the impact of future outages.
Watch his interview on CNA's Asia Now:
AngelRomeo
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Still down ah.. I going back office now
Ubi-Warrior
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I think Teams still working , Co-Pilot nkw seems to have joined Outlook though as non-working
lup_cheong_very_long
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Kok leong fault sibo?
AngelRomeo
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Then later I go office nothing to do
yperic
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Financial advisers left in the dark over policy updates
Financial adviser Gerald Ang, 26, said that he is "inconvenienced and annoyed" by the outage, which has left him unable to receive updates on his clients' insurance policies.
"Luckily, there are no urgent matters that need to be addressed from the company side to me, since it's the only way they communicate with us," Ang told CNA.
AIA, which Ang works with, has since turned to SMS to keep its advisers updated.
An extra cup of coffee as workers brace for overtime
While the Microsoft outage has brought an unexpected lull to the working day for some in Singapore, others are bracing for a long evening of catching up on unfinished tasks.
"I'm just having an extra coffee, enjoying my breakfast and resting for now," said accountant Germaine Lee, 32, who is working from home.
"It's not like my work will disappear anyway. I'll probably have to work overtime tonight since I can't get anything done until Microsoft Outlook is back up and running."
Other workers have found creative ways to keep things moving despite the disruption, turning to messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram to share documents, or shifting meetings to Google Meet.
"I've never had to send zip files over WhatsApp before … I didn't even know I could until today," said a 27-year-old marketing professional who declined to be named.
Microsoft's latest fix fails to deliver expected results
In an update shortly after 11am Singapore time, Microsoft said its latest efforts to restore services have not worked as expected, as the outage continues to disrupt users worldwide.
The tech giant said it had monitored changes made to improve service availability but found that they were "not taking as expected".
The company is now exploring alternative measures.
"We’re identifying alternate workstreams that can be applied to increase capacity in the face of sustained traffic management imbalances," Microsoft said.
Facebook users share work disruptions, find humour in outage
CNA's call for readers to share their experiences of the Microsoft outage has drawn responses from Facebook users, with some detailing disruptions to their work while others saw the funny side of the situation, joking about the outage falling on Friday the 13th.
Jane Wong said she was unable to access Outlook and Copilot, leaving her unable to update standard operating procedures. However, SharePoint and Teams were still working for her, allowing her to continue preparing reports.
For Simon Ong, the disruption meant having to rearrange meetings with suppliers and change his plans. He decided to head to Starbucks for a latte to de-stress.
Meanwhile, Miyuki Siew said Teams was unaffected for her, and she was still able to attend meetings as usual.
Have you been affected by the outage?
We'd like to hear how the disruption has affected your day, whether it's delayed work, missed emails or an unexpected breather.
Share your experience with us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.
Financial adviser Gerald Ang, 26, said that he is "inconvenienced and annoyed" by the outage, which has left him unable to receive updates on his clients' insurance policies.
"Luckily, there are no urgent matters that need to be addressed from the company side to me, since it's the only way they communicate with us," Ang told CNA.
AIA, which Ang works with, has since turned to SMS to keep its advisers updated.
An extra cup of coffee as workers brace for overtime
While the Microsoft outage has brought an unexpected lull to the working day for some in Singapore, others are bracing for a long evening of catching up on unfinished tasks.
"I'm just having an extra coffee, enjoying my breakfast and resting for now," said accountant Germaine Lee, 32, who is working from home.
"It's not like my work will disappear anyway. I'll probably have to work overtime tonight since I can't get anything done until Microsoft Outlook is back up and running."
Other workers have found creative ways to keep things moving despite the disruption, turning to messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram to share documents, or shifting meetings to Google Meet.
"I've never had to send zip files over WhatsApp before … I didn't even know I could until today," said a 27-year-old marketing professional who declined to be named.
Microsoft's latest fix fails to deliver expected results
In an update shortly after 11am Singapore time, Microsoft said its latest efforts to restore services have not worked as expected, as the outage continues to disrupt users worldwide.
The tech giant said it had monitored changes made to improve service availability but found that they were "not taking as expected".
The company is now exploring alternative measures.
"We’re identifying alternate workstreams that can be applied to increase capacity in the face of sustained traffic management imbalances," Microsoft said.
Facebook users share work disruptions, find humour in outage
CNA's call for readers to share their experiences of the Microsoft outage has drawn responses from Facebook users, with some detailing disruptions to their work while others saw the funny side of the situation, joking about the outage falling on Friday the 13th.
Jane Wong said she was unable to access Outlook and Copilot, leaving her unable to update standard operating procedures. However, SharePoint and Teams were still working for her, allowing her to continue preparing reports.
For Simon Ong, the disruption meant having to rearrange meetings with suppliers and change his plans. He decided to head to Starbucks for a latte to de-stress.
Meanwhile, Miyuki Siew said Teams was unaffected for her, and she was still able to attend meetings as usual.
Have you been affected by the outage?
We'd like to hear how the disruption has affected your day, whether it's delayed work, missed emails or an unexpected breather.
Share your experience with us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.
yperic
Greater Supremacy Member
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Singapore Courts' email services disrupted
The Singapore Courts have reported disruptions to their email services amid the ongoing Microsoft outage, potentially affecting court-related correspondence and requests.
In a Facebook advisory, the courts said they were experiencing issues with both incoming and outgoing emails.
"This may affect the receipt of emails sent to the courts, including requests relating to court applications and other correspondence as well as our ability to respond to email enquiries and requests," it added.
However, online court filing systems remain operational, and email notifications generated by these systems are unaffected.
Those with urgent court-related matters are advised to contact the Singapore Courts' call centre at 6587 8423.
Students struggle to revise for exams, access university portals
With an exam just four days away, National University of Singapore (NUS) law undergraduate Saw Yone Yone, 23, has been unable to access lecture slides emailed to him by his professor after each lesson.
Adding to his frustration, he has also been unable to use Microsoft Authenticator, leaving him locked out of several university websites and portals. These include LexisNexis, which he uses to access legal cases on his prescribed reading lists, and his NUS library account.
"It's mildly annoying that I did not download all of my tutor's slides," he said.
Fortunately, he had logged in to NUS Canvas, the university's web-based learning management system, before the outage, allowing him to continue accessing other course materials.
Meanwhile, several Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) students told CNA they had received an SMS alerting them to the disruption.
The university said it was "working closely with Microsoft and will provide updates once services are restored".
For Jun, 42, a business and environmental science undergraduate at James Cook University, the outage has brought a different worry.
He had emailed the university to ask whether he could enrol in a subject next semester as a backup plan if he fails to secure an internship.
With subject selection taking place next week, he is concerned that the disruption could delay the university's response, leaving him uncertain about his options.
"I don't even know if the outcome is in yet," he said.
The Singapore Courts have reported disruptions to their email services amid the ongoing Microsoft outage, potentially affecting court-related correspondence and requests.
In a Facebook advisory, the courts said they were experiencing issues with both incoming and outgoing emails.
"This may affect the receipt of emails sent to the courts, including requests relating to court applications and other correspondence as well as our ability to respond to email enquiries and requests," it added.
However, online court filing systems remain operational, and email notifications generated by these systems are unaffected.
Those with urgent court-related matters are advised to contact the Singapore Courts' call centre at 6587 8423.
Students struggle to revise for exams, access university portals
With an exam just four days away, National University of Singapore (NUS) law undergraduate Saw Yone Yone, 23, has been unable to access lecture slides emailed to him by his professor after each lesson.
Adding to his frustration, he has also been unable to use Microsoft Authenticator, leaving him locked out of several university websites and portals. These include LexisNexis, which he uses to access legal cases on his prescribed reading lists, and his NUS library account.
"It's mildly annoying that I did not download all of my tutor's slides," he said.
Fortunately, he had logged in to NUS Canvas, the university's web-based learning management system, before the outage, allowing him to continue accessing other course materials.
Meanwhile, several Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) students told CNA they had received an SMS alerting them to the disruption.
The university said it was "working closely with Microsoft and will provide updates once services are restored".
For Jun, 42, a business and environmental science undergraduate at James Cook University, the outage has brought a different worry.
He had emailed the university to ask whether he could enrol in a subject next semester as a backup plan if he fails to secure an internship.
With subject selection taking place next week, he is concerned that the disruption could delay the university's response, leaving him uncertain about his options.
"I don't even know if the outcome is in yet," he said.
ramlee
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Go home better
nasilemak100
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still down for me 
ramlee
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then boss send invite for 5pm meeting
nasilemak100
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