Global Cyber Outage Disrupts Flights, Banks, and Media

In a massive global disruption, a software update caused widespread outages on Friday, affecting flights, banks, telecoms, and media outlets worldwide. The issue was linked to a product update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, impacting customers using Microsoft’s Windows Operating System.

The disruption began early on Friday, grounding major U.S. airlines including American Airlines, Delta Airlines, and United Airlines. The outage extended to airports globally, with delays and disruptions reported. Passengers experienced manual check-ins at airports in Singapore, Hong Kong, and India, while Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport and Iberia Airlines also reported operational issues.

In the financial sector, banks and trading platforms from Australia to Germany faced transaction difficulties. Traders described the situation as the “mother of all global market outages.” Meanwhile, booking systems for British doctors went offline, Sky News experienced broadcast issues, and Manchester United had to postpone a ticket release.

CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz clarified on social media that the incident was due to a defect in a single content update for Windows hosts and emphasized that it was not a security breach or cyberattack. Microsoft confirmed that the issue was related to its Azure cloud unit and Windows devices, with a fix being implemented.

CrowdStrike’s Falcon Sensor software, which is utilized by over half of Fortune 500 companies, was identified as the cause of the disruptions, leading to blue screen errors on Windows devices. A manual workaround was provided to affected users.

Experts, including Ciaran Martin from Oxford University, highlighted the vulnerability of critical internet infrastructure. The outage’s impact was significant, affecting various sectors and prompting discussions about the resilience of IT security tools.

As companies work to restore normal operations, analysts are calling this event one of the most severe IT outages in history, underscoring the need for robust cybersecurity measures.