Beware of phishing scams in wake of Microsoft outage, Ontario cybersecurity experts warn - Inside Halton

The global disruption to Microsoft 365 services on November 12 has left many businesses and individuals vulnerable to cybercriminals exploiting the confusion. Experts warn that scammers are sending phishing emails and impersonating IT help desks to trick users still expecting delayed messages from the affected services.

Exploiting confusion

Edward Kiledjian, a Toronto-area cybersecurity expert with over 20 years of experience, explained that major service outages create immediate confusion that scammers exploit. Because email delivery was disrupted across hospitals, transit providers and businesses, Canadians are expecting delayed messages, which may lower their guard against phishing attempts.

Cybercriminal tactics

Amyn Sarif, field CISO for Toronto cybersecurity company Sopra Steria, noted that while the outage wasn't necessarily a cyberattack, it creates opportunities for criminals to take advantage of the confusion and urgency. He emphasized that cybercriminals are most successful when people feel pressured to act quickly.

Legitimate technology providers will never make unsolicited calls asking for passwords or multifactor authentication codes. Experts advise users to open fresh browser windows and type official website addresses directly rather than clicking links in messages or ads.

Protective measures

Following the outage, Sarif recommended that Canadians pause and verify any unexpected requests through official channels before taking action. A few moments spent verifying can prevent fraud, identity theft or account compromise.

The immediate cybersecurity risk for consumers is not the outage itself, but the scams and social engineering attempts that often follow major public incidents, according to Sarif.