Cybersecurity Watch · November 13, 2026, 3:48 PM CST
On a day when U.S. air traffic stopped and Microsoft email went dark across Asia and the Pacific, the first question many people asked was: is this a hack?
Here is what is actually known on Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, about each of the day’s big outages, and about the real cyberattacks still playing out since Monday, Nov. 9.
1. The FAA ground stop: no answer yet
The FAA halted every departing flight in the country Friday afternoon. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blamed a communication issue affecting all of the regional air traffic control centers.[1]
Whether that issue was caused by an attack is still unknown. As of SecurityWeek’s 4:33 p.m. Eastern report, federal officials had not said what caused the disruption or whether they were investigating a possible cyberattack.[1]
So, for now, no one official has called it a cyberattack, and no one has ruled one out. Treat posts that claim either as guesses.
Our full report on the ground stop is here: FAA Grounds Every U.S. Departure.
2. Microsoft’s outage: the company says no sign of an attack
Starting just after 3 a.m. Friday in eastern Australia, Outlook and other Microsoft services stopped working for hours. Businesses and government offices there ground to a halt, and some people could not get two-factor codes to sign in elsewhere.[2]
Microsoft said there was “no indication” a cyberattack caused it.[2] Its explanation:
a process on the affected servers responsible for establishing secure connections becomes overwhelmed, causing the servers to stop processing requests.[2]
Microsoft said it was looking at recent configuration changes as a possible cause. Australia’s national cyber security coordinator, Lt. Gen. Michelle McGuinness, is also looking into it.[2]
Video: CNN, November 13, 2026 — “Microsoft outage impacts millions. Tech expert explains the ripple effects”. Watch the original for full context.
3. Vanderbilt University: a confirmed attack, still unfolding
This one is a real cyberattack. On Monday, Nov. 9, Vanderbilt University in Nashville announced “an active cybersecurity incident” and told people to shut down their devices and get off campus Wi-Fi.[3][4]
Students posted that campus computers played an audio message: “You have been compromised by BYOD.”[3]
BYOD is a ransomware gang. It listed Vanderbilt on its leak site and claims it stole “Over 1 million SSNs” along with names, phone numbers and student and employee records.[3] Vanderbilt has not confirmed that.
By Monday night, campus Wi-Fi was back, but most university systems were still locked down. Classes went on.[3] The university says it is working with government agencies.[3]
BYOD is new and moving fast. Ransomware researcher Allan Liska told The Record, “We didn’t see their first victim until Sept 29th.”[4] The group has also claimed attacks on the University of New Mexico and Michigan State University.[4]
Video: WKRN News 2, November 13, 2026 — “Vanderbilt University asking students, staff to reset passwords after cyber attack”. Watch the original for full context.
4. Other attacks reported since Nov. 9
- Queens Public Library, New York. Ransomware encrypted the library’s systems, knocking out public computers, Wi-Fi, checkout machines and its app. All 66 branches stayed open.[6]
- Ukraine’s Air Alert app. Attackers pushed false radiation, chemical and military alerts to people in Kyiv, and developers paused notifications.[6]
- Stadtwerke Waldbröl, Germany. On Nov. 12, the ransomware group Incransom claimed it hit this town-owned utility and threatened to leak its data.[5] The utility has not publicly confirmed it. This is the attacker’s claim only.
What’s disputed or unconfirmed
- The cause of the FAA outage.[1]
- BYOD’s claim of more than a million stolen Social Security numbers at Vanderbilt.[3]
- Incransom’s claim against Stadtwerke Waldbröl.[5]
What you can do right now
- Be extra careful with any email, text or call about a flight refund, a Microsoft password reset or a Vanderbilt account today. Big outages are when scammers send fake “fix it now” messages.
- Reset a password only through the official site or app you normally use, never through a link in a message.
- If you are a Vanderbilt student, employee or alum, watch for an official notice about what data was taken, and consider a free credit freeze with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
- Keep two-factor backup codes written down somewhere safe. Friday showed that a sign-in app can go down with everything else.
References
- FAA Ground Stop Issued Due to 'Extraordinary Circumstances' (SecurityWeek)
- Access to Microsoft Outlook and other services being restored as cyber security chief investigates (ABC News (Australia))
- Ransomware threat blares from Vanderbilt University computers during cyberattack (The Register)
- Vanderbilt University warns of cyberattack as ransomware gang makes claims (The Record)
- Incransom Targets Stadtwerke Waldbröl GmbH in Germany (DeXpose)
- 9th November – Threat Intelligence Report (Check Point Research)
Kemetic Minds Editorial Desk
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