Global IT Outage Linked to Microsoft Disrupts Banks, Shops, and Media Outlets
A massive IT outage linked to Microsoft has caused chaos across various sectors worldwide, affecting businesses, airports, and banks. The widespread disruptions have left many industries scrambling to resolve the issue.
The root cause of the outage appears to be an issue with cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, a client of Microsoft Windows. CrowdStrike’s CEO, George Kurtz, addressed the setbacks in a statement on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “CrowdStrike is actively working with customers impacted by a defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts. Mac and Linux hosts are not impacted.”
Kurtz emphasized that “this is not a security incident or cyberattack. The issue has been identified, isolated, and a fix has been deployed. We refer customers to the support portal for the latest updates and will continue to provide complete and continuous updates on our website. We further recommend organizations ensure they’re communicating with CrowdStrike representatives through official channels. Our team is fully mobilized to ensure the security and stability of CrowdStrike customers.”
CrowdStrike is actively working with customers impacted by a defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts. Mac and Linux hosts are not impacted. This is not a security incident or cyberattack. The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed. We…
— George Kurtz (@George_Kurtz) July 19, 2024
Initial reports of issues began circulating in the US late Thursday evening around 6 pm ET, but the full extent of the damage was not realized until early Friday in Europe. Airports worldwide, including London’s Gatwick and Amsterdam’s Schiphol, began reporting disruptions caused by Microsoft’s technical issues, leading to delays and grounded flights in some regions.
The problem also extended to the London Stock Exchange, which reported that its RNS news service was experiencing third-party problems “preventing news from being published.” Other stock exchanges, such as Malaysia’s Bursa Malaysia Bhd and market traders in India, also reported disruptions.
The outage affected a wide range of businesses, including grocery stores, hospitality venues, and retail shops, many of which reported difficulties in communicating with customers and processing card payments.
Media broadcasters in Australia and New Zealand widely reported issues and disruptions, while in the UK, Sky News remained off the air this morning.
The incident highlights the critical dependence on IT infrastructure and the far-reaching impact of technical issues. While CrowdStrike and Microsoft are working diligently to resolve the problem, the disruption has underscored the importance of robust and resilient IT systems in today’s interconnected world.