‘Catastrophic event’: A global pandemic-level threat has just emerged

From flights to trains to stock markets to banks to retail stores, daily life has been disrupted by the global Microsoft outage today. Millions of Windows users globally are encountering the Blue Screen of Death, leading to unexpected computer shutdowns or restarts. In some instances, computers are repeatedly restarting, causing users to lose unsaved data and valuable time. Well over 200 flights have been cancelled by Indian carriers due to the Microsoft Azure outage. IndiGo alone said it has cancelled about 200.

The Microsoft outage has recreated fears akin to those triggered by the Covid pandemic which had brought the world to standstill. Cybersecurity failure is seen to be imminent in the current global situation.