Microsoft confirmed a significant service outage on November 13, 2026, affecting UK-based users of Outlook, Teams, and Copilot.
The root cause was identified as server overload resulting from a sudden, widespread loss of infrastructure availability.
Microsoft noted that their initial remediation attempts did not yield immediate results.
Security assessments have ruled out any malicious cyberattack involvement.
The incident caused cascading effects on critical public infrastructure, impacting police and medical communication channels.
The cause of the problem
According to the company, the problem was caused by a large number of systems suddenly stopping working. This resulted in the remaining available systems being overloaded with user traffic, making them unable to service requests. Microsoft confirmed that its initial efforts to fix the situation did not have the expected result immediately.
Where are there malfunctions?
The problems have affected everyday life in several areas:
- Health: Many clinics asked patients to contact them by phone or in person for urgent matters, as electronic communication was not possible. Similarly, pharmacies faced difficulties in communicating with doctors, which may have caused delays in prescriptions.
- Police: Several police forces have advised that digital forms for reporting incidents may not be working and have asked citizens to call 101 for emergencies.
- Parliament: MPs faced difficulties accessing their accounts.
The British government is continuing to assess the extent of the impact on public services.
What works normally
Not all of the country's infrastructure was affected. London's airports and ambulance services are operating normally. British intelligence services also remain operational, as they use independent systems.
No sign of attack
Both Microsoft and security experts have ruled out the possibility of a cyberattack, with the incident attributed solely to a technical problem with the company's infrastructure.
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