Some S’pore govt systems affected by Microsoft outage; no impact on Singpass: GovTech

SINGAPORE – Some Singapore government system have been affected by a Microsoft service disruption on Nov 13, said the Government Technology Agency (GovTech).

This includes e-mail services, a GovTech spokesperson said on Nov 13 in response to queries, adding that the agency is working with Microsoft to restore services as soon as possible.

Emergency services remain fully operational and can be reached at 995 and 999 as usual, the spokesperson said.

Singpass is not affected, and public officers can continue to use Microsoft Teams for internal communications.

“For updates on e-services, please check the relevant agency’s official website or social media channels,” the spokesperson said.

“The e-mail disruption may delay responses to enquiries. For urgent matters, members of the public can contact the agency through other channels, such as its call centre.”

More updates will be provided when information is available, the spokesperson added.

Microsoft 365, Outlook, Teams and other apps of the company remain disrupted for thousands of users globally, with Singapore users reporting issues on outage tracker Downdetector on the morning of Nov 13.

On its Service Health Status webpage, Microsoft said it was reviewing traffic flows and affected infrastructure to identify opportunities to optimise routing, as its service outage stretches on.

“We will continue to share more information as soon as we have it, and for now we can confirm that there is no indication this is the result of malicious activity,” it wrote.