TV networks, airlines, health systems and banks worldwide using Microsoft 365 apps experienced extensive outages on Friday due to an issue linked to CrowdStrike.
This has caused thousands of flight and train cancellations globally, including over 1,800 in the U.S., and affected various public and retail services.
The global outages were due to a technical problem identified by the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, which provides antivirus software for Microsoft Windows devices.
Microsoft acknowledged that a CrowdStrike update earlier in the day disrupted many IT systems globally.
Microsoft announced on social media that mitigation actions were completed and impacted Microsoft 365 apps and services had recovered, though monitoring continued to ensure resolution.
CrowdStrike’s technical support noted reports of crashes related to its Falcon Sensor software. CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz stated that a defect in a single content update for Windows hosts caused the issue, affecting only Microsoft environments.
He emphasized it was not a security incident or cyberattack, and a fix was being implemented.
Department of Homeland Security memo confirmed DHS systems were affected by the global outage of CrowdStrike’s software, impacting many businesses globally without being a cyberattack.
In the U.S., over 1,800 flights were canceled, and more than 5,000 were delayed.
American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines resumed some flights later in the day.
The FAA worked closely with airlines to resume normal operations, with intermittent ground stops and delays.
In Europe, Lufthansa, KLM, and SAS Airlines experienced disruptions.
Zurich airport in Switzerland halted landings, and Delhi airport in India resorted to manual operations. Hospitals in Germany canceled elective surgeries, and U.K. doctors faced issues with online booking systems.
Pharmacists in the U.K. experienced disruptions in medicine deliveries and accessing prescriptions.
The London Stock Exchange had regulatory news service disruptions, but trading was unaffected. The New York Stock Exchange operated normally.
Delivery companies like FedEx reported potential delays due to the outages, with contingency plans activated to mitigate impacts.
Despite CrowdStrike’s ongoing fixes, some issues may take time to resolve.
CyberArk’s Chief Information Officer, Omer Grossman, explained that because endpoints had crashed, they couldn’t be updated remotely and would need manual resolution, potentially taking days.
CrowdStrike’s Kurtz mentioned that many systems were beginning to recover, and a fix could be as simple as rebooting computers or servers.
However, some systems might not fully recover, requiring individualized attention to restore full functionality, without a specific timeframe provided.
Many organizations would rely on their tech departments to resolve the issues.
