Microsoft outage exposes Australian cybersecurity risks as firms use unsecured tools

A 24-hour global Microsoft outage affecting Outlook and Teams has raised major cybersecurity concerns in Australia, as organisations used unsecured alternatives like personal email and USB drives to keep working. Experts warn this could have created significant data security risks. The Australian Information Security Association said the scramble to maintain operations may have moved vast amounts of information outside normal security arrangements, potentially creating enormous additional cyber risk. Businesses are feared to have lost billions in direct and indirect costs within 12 hours, with smaller entities most vulnerable. Experts urge businesses to build redundancy through independent communication channels and offline access to critical data. The Australian Computer Society has renewed calls for a national review of IT sovereign risk, while consumer groups report record-low trust in big tech, with 79 per cent demanding stronger online service protections.