Microsoft"s main Web site was unreachable for almost two hours on Friday as the Web server it is hosted on failed following a DOS (denial of service) attack, the company said Friday.
I can confirm a DOS attack on the Microsoft.com Web site. It started at 1.21 p.m. Pacific time and lasted for roughly one hour and 40 minutes," a Microsoft spokesman said. "We have reported this to the appropriate federal law enforcement authorities and they are investigating this particular attack."
The denial of service was caused by "a malicious load of site requests," the spokesman said, but Microsoft has yet not determined where the attack originated or who could be behind it. However, the company has determined that its site did not go down as a result of a software flaw, nor was a flaw in any Microsoft product involved in staging the attack, the spokesman said. "This is not a Microsoft software issue," he said.
The attack hit only the Microsoft.com Web site, and other Microsoft Web properties such as MSN, Hotmail, and MSNBC were not affected, the spokesman said.