A mass IT outage has disrupted services at global institutions, including major banks, media outlets, and airlines. Many airlines have grounded flights worldwide, causing widespread delays.
In the US, Alaska’s emergency services are affected, while Australian supermarkets are crippled, and media outlets in several countries, such as Sky News in the UK, experienced system failures.
The cause of the outage is unclear, but many affected institutions have linked it to Microsoft PC operating systems. A Microsoft 365 service update posted earlier stated, “we’re investigating an issue impacting users’ ability to access various Microsoft 365 apps and services.” However, a Microsoft spokesperson told the BBC on Friday that “the majority of services were recovered” hours earlier.
Australia’s home affairs ministry suggested the outage might be due to an issue at a cybersecurity firm, with the country’s cybersecurity watchdog stating there was no indication of a malicious attack.
Meanwhile, the President and CEO of CrowdStrike, George Kurtz, has apologized for the worldwide outages caused by a software update issued by the company, which disrupted critical health care, travel, and broadcasting services.
In an interview on NBC’s Today, Mr. Kurtz said, “We’re resolving, and have resolved the issue now. As systems come back online, as they’re rebooted, they’re coming up and they’re working. And now we are working with each and every customer, to make sure that we can bring them back online.”
He clarified that a Microsoft operating system had been impacted by the update, adding that his company would further investigate “the way some of these operating systems work.”
He emphasized that CrowdStrike had been in continuous contact with customers to address the issues. “Many of the customers are rebooting the system, and it’s coming up and it’ll be operational because we fixed it on our end. For systems that aren’t recovering, we’re working with them,” he told NBC.
Social media users reported problems making payments at stores like Gail’s bakery and coffee chain in the UK and Woolworths in Australia, as well as accessing financial institutions such as the National Australia Bank.
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Source: CNN
