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Crowdstrike and Microsoft: What we know so far about global IT disruptions

Politiko 2024-07-19 19:14:47

A massive technology failure has caused travel chaos around the world, with banking and healthcare services as well.
Flights have been grounded due to an IT outage - a glitch that left many computers stranded.
There were long queues, delays and flight cancellations at airports around the world as passengers had to be checked in manually.
Cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike has acknowledged that the problem was caused by an update to its antivirus software, which is designed to protect Microsoft Windows devices from malicious attacks.
Microsoft has said it is taking "mitigative actions" to deal with the "prolonged impact" of the outage.
Here's a summary of what we know so far, the BBC reports .

What caused the outage?
This is still a bit unclear.
Crowdstrike is known for making antivirus software aimed at preventing hackers from causing just this kind of disruption.
According to Crowdstrike boss George Kurtz, the problems are only affecting Windows computers and no other operating systems and were caused by a bug in a recent update.
"The issue has been identified, isolated and put in the fix," he said.
"This is not a security incident or cyber attack."
What exactly was wrong with the update has yet to be revealed.

When will it be fixed?
It may take some time.
Crowdstrike's Kurtz, speaking to NBC News, said it was the firm's "mission" to make sure each of its customers fully recovered from the outage.
"We are very sorry for the impact we have caused to customers, travelers, anyone affected by this, including our companies," he said.
He has since told CNBC that while some systems can be fixed quickly, for others "it could take hours, it could be a little longer."
But according to those in the know, it will have to be applied separately for each affected device.
Computers will require a manual reboot into safe mode - causing a massive headache for IT departments everywhere.
What is the solution?
Something important to note here is that personal devices like your home computer or mobile phone are unlikely to be affected - this outage is affecting businesses.
Microsoft is advising customers to try a classic method of getting things to work - turning it off and on again - in some cases up to 15 times.
The tech giant said this has worked for some users.
"Several reboots may be required (up to 15 have been reported), but the general feedback is that rebooting is an effective troubleshooting step at this stage," he said.
Which airports are affected?
The problems have appeared around the world, but were first noticed in Australia and were perhaps felt most severely in the air travel industry, with more than 3,300 flights canceled globally.
UK airports saw delays, with long queues at London's Stansted and Gatwick.
Ryanair said it was "forced to cancel a small number of flights today (July 19)" and advised passengers to log into their Ryanair account to see what their options are.
British Airways also canceled some flights.
Several US airlines, notably United, Delta and American Airlines, grounded their flights around the globe for much of Friday. Australian carriers Virgin Australia and Jetstar also had to delay or cancel flights.
Airports in Tokyo, Amsterdam and Delhi were also affected.
Meanwhile, problems have also hit payment systems, banks and healthcare providers around the world.
Rail companies, including Britain's biggest run Southern, Thameslink, Gatwick Express and Great Northern, warned passengers to expect delays.
In Alaska, the 911 emergency service was affected, while Sky News was off the air for several hours Friday morning, unable to broadcast.

How can it affect me?
The outage may also affect people who are paid on time.
Melanie Pizzey, head of the Global Payroll Association, told the PA news agency that she had been contacted by "numerous customers" who could not access their payroll software.
She said the outage could mean firms are unable to process staff payments this week, but it could also have a knock-on effect.
If you're worried about your personal devices, we have some good news.
The software at the center of this outage is generally used by businesses, meaning that most people's personal computers will not be affected.