NewsFlash
This page provides important items of IT industry news, technical and security briefings and IT issues that impact business.
If you require any further information about the issues listed on this page, please get in touch with Magikos IT using the callback section below. Alternatively, call us or email using the Contact Page details.
Office 365 Services Unavailable 10th December 2024
Issue Resolved - Microsoft identified the root cause as an authentication token problem which they will report on formally within the next few days. Users should no longer be having any further issues. if you continue to have problems with Microsoft 365, please log a call with your IT Helpdesk provider.
Last Update - 10/12/2024 13:45hrs - Microsoft quote: "We've disabled proactive caching to provide some relief. In parallel, we've tested and deployed a fix, which we believe will remediate impact. We anticipate that the fix will take approximately two hours to complete."
Magikos IT advises anyone to try logging in to see if their services are now available. If any clients with monthly IT support from Magikos IT are still having problems, please contact the Magikos IT Helpdesk service.
We have also reports from clients that they are able to use Outlook online again to confirm its working at least for some users.Last Update - 10/12/2024 at 12:22hrs - While there is no update yet officially from Microsoft regarding a fix, please note that if Email is critical, then the mobile app is still operational and you are able to send and receive email within the Outlook mobile apps on both Android and iOS (Apple) devices as a workaround while we wait for a fix.
Last Update - 10/12/2024 at 11:30hrs - News has reached us here at Magikos IT that the flagship online suite Microsoft 365 is experiencing difficulties, with some users unable to access the online applications, including Microsoft Outlook Online. Microsoft has acknowledged that there are currently problems with their services and are working towards resolutions. We will continue to monitor the situation and will update further once we have more news.
User Impact - Users may be unable to access apps in Microsoft 365 for the web.
More Info - Users may see the following message when viewing or accessing their Microsoft 365 apps using a web browser: "We're experiencing a service outage. All of your open files have been saved. It may be some time before the outage is resolved."
Scope of Impact: impact is specific to some users, who are served through the affected infrastructure, attempting to access apps in Microsoft 365 for the web.
Issue ID: OO953223
Worldwide IT Outage Causing Widespread Problems
Last Update - 22/07/2024 at 12:35hrs - While most of the issues concerning clients who we work with and manage services for are all operational, we have posted this last update so that anyone searching online for the official fix is able to find it from trusted sources. Below are 3 links, one detailing the technical assessment of the problem and the other two detailing how to fix the issue directly from both Crowdstrike and assisted by Microsoft directly. The only lingering issue now, other than getting IT tech teams to each affected computer to implement the fix, is to be on the guard for cyber crooks offering to fix issues, direct you at false information or try to remote into your computer to fix issues that don't really exist. Be on guard and report any suspicious activity to your own IT team. Please find below the following 3 links to official notices and fix information:
Crowdstrike details the technical details of the failure: https://www.crowdstrike.com/blog/falcon-update-for-windows-hosts-technical-details/.
Crowdstrike detail the fix to get computers up and running again: https://www.crowdstrike.com/falcon-content-update-remediation-and-guidance-hub/.Microsoft support document for fix assistance: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/kb5042421-crowdstrike-issue-impacting-windows-endpoints-causing-an-0x50-or-0x7e-error-message-on-a-blue-screen-b1c700e0-7317-4e95-aeee-5d67dd35b92f.Last Update - 19/07/2024 at 12:10hrs - Microsoft says 'underlying cause' has been fixed published at 12:05 Microsoft says the "underlying cause" of the mass IT outage has been fixed for its apps, but "residual impact" is continuing to affect some services. This will still take some time to resolve the issue for end users and we will continue to report on updates when they are available.Last Update - 19/07/2024 at 11:42hrs - Crowdstrike have announced a fix has been implemented and we are seeing reports of some systems and airlines bringing their systems back online. It may still take a while for this rollout to make a difference as we currently understand that this rollout of a fix needs IT people at each of the PC's affected and can't be rolled out centrally. We will keep you posted with updates but hopefully we may start to see services coming back online shortly.
Last Update - 19/07/2024 at 10:55hrs - The BBC has a pretty decent live update regarding the outages and systems affected on their website currently that you may find helpful: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cnk4jdwp49et
Last Update - 19/07/2024 at 10:40hrs - Most of the issues being reported are around Microsoft and Cloudstrike protected systems being down. While this is the case, it is still affecting normal Microsoft 365 users as well due to a correction made by Microsoft to try and mitigate the risk which affected storage access to Microsoft products - OneDrive and SharePoint particularly. Check out the large text block below for the latest information from the Microsoft 365 portal system status information.
Last Update - 19/07/2024 at 09:53hrs - Most of the issues being reported are around Microsoft and Cloudstrike protected systems being unavailable or down.
Last Update - 19/07/2024 at 08:23hrs - Most of the issues are centered around problems with the Microsoft 365 system. Many of the systems provided by this platform are currently unavailable or have multiple restrictions which means people can't access basic functions such as Email, Calendars and stored files, but it also seems that currently some of the more complex systems within the M365 system are also affected such as databases, web services and hosted systems. This is impacting everything from Air Traffic operations, banking, large online organisations as well as smaller individuals and businesses. We will continue to monitor the situation and report back if the situation improves or we have better timescales of when changes are to be implemented. Here are a some links where you will be able to see if the situation is improving:
Down Detector: https://downdetector.co.uk.
Details taken from the MS System Status Pages - 19/07/2024 at 12:15hrs:Users may be unable to access various Microsoft 365 apps and services Issue ID: MO821132 Affected services: Microsoft 365 suite, Microsoft Teams Status: Service degradation Issue type: Incident Start time: 19 Jul 2024, 00:13 BST More info Users may notice that some of the affected users are seeing relief as we continue to mitigate the impact. Impacted services may include but are not limited to the following: - PowerBI Users may notice that their service is in read-only mode while we address impact. - Microsoft Fabric Users may notice that their service is in read-only mode while we address impact. - Microsoft Teams Users may be unable to leverage Microsoft Teams functions including presence, group chats, and user registration. - Microsoft 365 admin center: Admins may be intermittently unable to access the Microsoft 365 admin center and any action may be delayed if accessible. Our internal telemetry and customer signals indicate that the following services are recovered: - Microsoft Defender - Microsoft Defender for Endpoint - Microsoft Defender Experts - Microsoft Intune - Microsoft OneNote - OneDrive for Business - SharePoint Online - Windows 365 - Viva Engage - Microsoft Purview Scope of impact This issue may be impacting any user attempting to use various Microsoft 365 apps and services. Preliminary root cause A configuration change in a portion of our Azure backend workloads, caused interruption between storage and compute resources which resulted in connectivity failures that affected downstream Microsoft 365 services dependent on these connections. Current status 19 Jul 2024, 11:24 BST The underlying cause of the issue has been fixed and several Microsoft 365 apps and services have been restored to full functionality. Residual impact is still affecting some Microsoft 365 apps and services, and Microsoft 365 engineering are continuing to conduct additional mitigation actions to provide relief. We're continuing to observe an increase in functionality and availability for the remaining impacted scenarios and we're monitoring this closely to ensure we're progressing towards full recovery. Microsoft is continuing to treat this event with the highest possible priority. Next update by: Friday 19 July 2024 at 13:30 BST
Millions Exposed: Ticketmaster & Santander Hacks – How to Protect Yourself
Ticketmaster and Santander bank recently suffered major data breaches, potentially impacting over 590 million customers. While the source of the attack is debated, experts warn it highlights the dangers of interconnected systems.
By staying vigilant and taking these precautions, you can help mitigate the risks associated with this data breach.
For the full article follow the link here to the article on our website.
Dropbox Sign Data Breach Information
In a recent security incident, attackers accessed Dropbox Sign, a service for digital signatures. This breach was discovered in late April but only disclosed by Dropbox on Friday the 3rd of May. Exposed user information included emails, usernames, phone numbers, and even some authentication details. Dropbox assures users their documents and payment information are safe.
However, we recommend that you change your password (https://help.dropbox.com/security/password-reset)and why not take this opportunity to configure 2-factor authentication at the same time, this will help prevent unauthorised access to your accounts for any potential future leaks or repercussions from this breach. Here is a link to the setup instructions for 2F from Dropbox directly: https://help.dropbox.com/account-access/enable-two-step-verification
Security - Magikos IT Manufacturer Evaluation Statement
IT security is considered of paramount importance by Magikos IT. Hardware equipment, manufacturers and suppliers are evaluated regularly to ensure that there is a reliable supply of the right technologies for use by ourselves and our customers. Furthermore, Magikos IT takes into consideration security recommendations from government organisations such as GCHQ and the NCSC in the selection of manufacturers of network and server equipment.
Currently, the UK government has two manufacturers listed on a High Risk Vendor (HRV) list: Huawei and ZTE. Though aimed primarily at the Telco level for core infrastructure services, Magikos IT does not use any equipment from either manufacturer. In accordance with this policy and process, Magikos IT has at the current date (October 2022), evaluated the following IT hardware equipment manufacturers and deemed them to be acceptable for deployment in our own and our customers’ infrastructure:
- Draytek
- HP
- Ubiquiti
- Dell
- TP Link
- Apple
- Polycom
- ClearlyIP
- DLink
- Netgear
- Crucial
- APC
This list and the process of evaluation is ongoing - new manufacturers will arise and others will either disappear or merge. Current and additional IT hardware manufacturers will be evaluated and assessed as project requirements dictate.
UK Telephone System Deadline:
31st March 2025 marks the end of life of the UK PSTN telephony infrastructure. We all need to make sure we have migrated to internet-delivered telephone systems (called VoIP or Voice Over IP) both at home and in business.
Windows 10 End Of Life:
14th October 2025 is the date for end of support by Microsoft for Windows 10. After that date, there will be no further security patches - anti-virus software is NOT a suitable protection. All users are advised strongly to make sure they have migrated to Windows 11 before that date. It is vital that any PC is checked first to ensure that it is capable of running Windows 11 - do not assume that a Microsoft banner or notice is a guarantee that the PC is capable of running Windows 11 properly.
Request A Callback Today
...
Reach Us
Location :
Magikos IT Limited
Suite 229
Access Business Centre
Willoughby Road
Bracknell
Berkshire
RG12 8FB
Email :
info@magikos.co.uk
Phone :
01344 20 40 19
Option 1: for General Enquiries
Option 2: for Accounts