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How Will Azure’s Outbound Connection Change Affect You? (Stay Protected)
Microsoft will stop giving virtual machines in Azure a free pass to the internet on September 30, 2025. This means, after this date, if you set up a new virtual network in Azure, your VMs won’t get a default way to reach the internet unless you set it up yourself. Microsoft is doing this to make things safer and to give you more control.
What’s Changing?
Right now, if you create a VM in Azure and don’t set up outbound access, Azure gives your VM a default public IP so it can talk to the internet.
On September 30, 2025, this “default” way stops for new virtual networks. You must pick and set up an outbound method if your VM needs to reach the internet.
For VMs in old networks that use this default way, nothing breaks. They keep working. But Microsoft says you should switch to a clear, set outbound method soon.
Why Is Microsoft Making This Change?
Security: The default outbound access makes it hard to track and control which VMs talk to the internet. This can be risky.
Control: You get to decide which IP addresses your VMs use. This helps with tracking and managing network traffic.
Stability: If you set an explicit outbound method, your public IP won’t change unexpectedly. This keeps your apps stable.
What Do You Need to Do?
If you have VMs that need to reach the internet, you need to set up one of these:
- Azure NAT Gateway: Gives your VMs a single, stable public IP for outbound traffic.
- Azure Load Balancer (Outbound Rules): Lets you control which VMs can go out to the internet, and how.
- Direct Public IP: Assign a public IP straight to your VM.
Steps to Prepare
- Check your VMs: See which ones use the default outbound access.
- Plan your change: Decide which outbound method fits your needs.
- Update your setup: Move your VMs to use the new outbound method.
- Test everything: Make sure your VMs can still reach what they need.
Who Does Not Need to Worry?
If your VMs run on Azure Cloud Services (extended support), you don’t need to do anything. This change does not affect you.
Why Should You Act Now?
Avoid Surprises: If you wait, your VMs in new networks won’t be able to reach the internet unless you set it up.
Stay Secure: Picking your own outbound method helps keep your network safe.
Keep Control: You decide how your VMs connect, not Azure.
Benefits of Switching Early
- More control over your network.
- Easier to track and audit connections.
- Better security and fewer surprises.
Microsoft’s update may sound negative, but it’s a positive move for security and control. Taking action now helps you avoid trouble later and keeps your cloud setup safe.