GLOBAL DISRUPTIONS AS MICROSOFT OUTAGE IMPACTS AIRLINES, BANKS, AND MORE

Fri 19 July 2024:

A widespread technical glitch linked to a Microsoft outage caused disruptions across various sectors globally, from airlines to banks. The cascade of failures began in the US and spread to Asia, impacting major companies such as McDonald’s, United Airlines, and LSE Group. The exact cause of the outage remains unclear, but it followed Microsoft’s announcement of issues with Microsoft 365 apps and services.

Experts suggest the disruption may be connected to CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity firm. The problem appears to have led to crashes on machines running Microsoft Windows. CrowdStrike acknowledged reports of Windows crashing, attributing it to a “content deployment problem” with its ‘Falcon’ sensor product.

“This is an extraordinarily dysfunctional, disruptive morning from an IT point of view,” said Al Jazeera’s Jonah Hull. A mandatory software update by CrowdStrike seems to have caused the issue, resulting in the notorious ‘blue-screen-of-death’ error on Windows systems.

Global Impact

Some services began returning to normal, including Sky News in the UK. However, transport systems worldwide were significantly affected. In the US, major airlines Delta, United, and American Airlines faced grounding issues. In Australia, flight information screens at Sydney Airport went blank, causing delays. Airports in the UK, Germany, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Spain also reported disruptions.

Other Sectors Affected

Banks and financial institutions from Australia to India and South Africa experienced service disruptions. The London Stock Exchange faced a technical glitch affecting its news service. Media companies, including Australia’s ABC and Network Ten, saw broadcasting issues. Government services, such as booking systems used by UK doctors, were offline, and New Zealand’s parliamentary systems were impacted.

Amazon’s AWS reported connectivity issues to Windows EC2 instances and Workspaces. The problem is not believed to be a cyberattack, with cybersecurity agencies in France and the UK ruling out malicious activity.

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Market Impact

The outage affected Microsoft and CrowdStrike’s stock prices. Microsoft shares dropped from $444.34 to $435, while CrowdStrike shares fell by more than 3%, reflecting concerns over the software product implicated in the outage.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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