Microsoft Azure Breach in August 2021

What Was the Breach?

Microsoft Azure, the cloud branch of the software company, suffered a data breach in the second half of 2021. The breach is significant as it exposed the details of thousands of the company’s customers to digital criminals. It is interesting to note that Microsoft shelled out a cool $40,000 to the digital security expert, Wiz, who identified the flaw and promptly reported it to the software giant.

The hack of Azure is foreboding as the tech giant, and a litany of other digital security specialists had gone to great lengths to encourage businesses to shed internal infrastructure in favor of the cloud. The use of the cloud for data storage was supposedly superior in the context of digital security.

How Did the Breach Occur?

The breach is the result of poorly secured access keys that allowed hackers to obtain access as well as control of the databases in question. Microsoft states it is incapable of altering the keys on its own. In other words, the breach prompted the company to reach out to compromised customers, instructing them to generate new keys.

When Did the Breach Occur?

The breach occurred in August 2021.

Who Does the Breach Impact?

The attack impacts companies that use Microsoft Azure. Microsoft's customers include some of the world's largest businesses, meaning the hack provides a clear path for the digital miscreants in question to compromise customers branching out far beyond the metaphorical trunk of Microsoft Azure.

How Many Files Does the Breach Affect?

Thousands of cloud computing files were accessed in the attack.