Default outbound access for VMs in Azure will be retired—transition existing VMs to a new method of internet access

Question

I received an email from Microsoft regarding an Default outbound access for VMs in Azure will be retired. Do I need to take any action on this? I also checked on Advisor by selecting the network interfaces under Operational Excellence and got an outcome stating "Add explicit outbound method to disable default outbound" for 193 network interfaces. Could you please advise me on the necessary steps to take?

Answer 1

Hi @Vindhya Sri Velagapudi (EXT),

As noted, for enhanced security, Azure is moving towards a secure-by-default model. This means default outbound access to the internet will be turned off. After 30 September 2025, Azure will no longer assign a default implicit IP for VMs to communicate to the internet. Existing VMs will not be impacted by this retirement.

If you require outbound access after this date, you will have an easy way to enable outbound internet access with explicit outbound methods. Similarly, if you currently have VMs with default outbound access and would like to move to a secure by default configuration after this date, we will provide a mechanism to opt in with ease.  At any time, you can transition to an explicit outbound method that Azure offers. If you are already using explicit outbound connectivity methods, you will not be impacted by this retirement.

Directly attaching your VM to an Azure public IP address is one of the recommended solutions.

Azure Updates- https://azure.microsoft.com/es-es/updates?id=default-outbound-access-for-vms-in-azure-will-be-retired-updates-and-more-information

I would recommend you refer this link for more detailed information- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/1382414/default-outbound-access-for-vms-in-azure-will-be-r

If you have any further queries, do let us know.

It’s been a few days since you are here! Hope the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and "Upvote it."