- Global IT outage disrupts multiple industries.
- Flights grounded, broadcasts halted, and banks affected.
- Caused by a CrowdStrike update affecting Microsoft Windows.
A massive IT outage disrupted operations across multiple industries on Friday, with major airlines halting flights, some broadcasters going off-air, and sectors ranging from banking to healthcare experiencing system problems. The cyber outage was triggered by an update to a product offered by global cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, affecting customers using Microsoft’s Windows Operating System. Microsoft later confirmed the issue had been resolved.
Banks and financial services from Australia to India and Germany warned customers of disruptions, with traders across markets facing difficulties in executing transactions. “We are having the mother of all global market outages,” commented one trader.
In Britain, booking systems used by doctors were offline, according to multiple reports posted on X by medical officials. Sky News, one of the country’s major news broadcasters, was off air, apologizing for being unable to transmit live, and soccer club Manchester United had to postpone a scheduled ticket release.
CrowdStrike issued an alert to clients stating that its “Falcon Sensor” software was causing Microsoft Windows to crash and display the “Blue Screen of Death.” The company shared a manual workaround to fix the issue. Over half of Fortune 500 companies use CrowdStrike software, highlighting the widespread impact of the outage.
The disruption extended to airports in Singapore, Hong Kong, and India, where some airlines had to check in passengers manually. Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, one of Europe’s busiest, reported being affected, while Iberia operated manually at airports until its electronic check-in counters and online check-ins were reactivated.
CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz stated that a defect in a single content update for Windows hosts caused the significant disruption, not a security event or cyberattack. He assured that the issue had been identified, isolated, and fixed, and that his company was actively working with affected customers.
The outage also grounded flights in the United States, derailed television broadcasts in the UK, and impacted telecommunications in Australia. Major US air carriers, including Delta, United, and American Airlines, grounded all flights due to communication issues, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Berlin Brandenburg airport in Germany experienced flight cancellations due to a “technical problem,” while all airports in Spain faced disruptions.
The UK’s biggest rail operator warned of possible train cancellations due to IT issues, and large queues formed at Sydney Airport in Australia. Australian telecommunications firm Telstra suggested the outages were caused by global issues with Microsoft and CrowdStrike software. Microsoft stated it was taking mitigation actions to address service issues.
Experts emphasized the fragility of the world’s core internet infrastructure, highlighting the significant impact of the outage on global operations. The situation underscored the interconnectedness of modern systems and the potential for widespread disruption from a single point of failure.