A widespread IT outage caused disruptions for businesses, airlines, banks, and hospitals globally on Friday. The issue, which began in the morning, affected Microsoft Windows PCs with many users experiencing the “blue screen of death” after an update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike. According to CrowdStrike CEO, George Kurtz, the problem was caused by a defective software update for Microsoft Windows hosts. He reassured that it was not a security incident or cyber attack, and a fix had been deployed. However, experts predict that it may take weeks for all systems to return to normal.
In a statement issued on Friday night, Microsoft acknowledged the issue and stated that a resolution for affected Windows devices was forthcoming. They also advised affected customers to follow the guidance provided by CrowdStrike.
The first reports of the IT outage came from Australia, where a spokesperson for the country’s home affairs minister, Clare O’Neil, stated that the issue appeared to be related to CrowdStrike. The national cyber security coordinator, Michelle McGuinness, confirmed that it was a large-scale technical outage, but there was no indication of a cyber security incident. Australian companies, including supermarket chain Woolworths and the National Australia Bank, also reported problems.
The outage soon spread across the globe, with a spike in outages recorded just before 6am in the UK. The NHS in England reported disruptions in the majority of GP practices due to the outage, but there was no impact on emergency services. Northern Ireland’s Department of Health stated that two-thirds of GP practices were affected. Other industries affected included airlines, airports, and train operators in the UK, US, India, and other countries. As of 8pm, 5,078 flights had been grounded worldwide, and there were delays and cancellations for hundreds of flights.
CrowdStrike’s CEO, George Kurtz, stated that a fix had been deployed, but did not provide a specific timeline for when systems would be fully restored. IT expert Adam Leon Smith of BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, warned that it could take weeks to fix the issue, as the fix would have to be applied to many computers worldwide. He also noted that the impact could have been much worse if the main operating system for mission-critical systems was affected.
As the situation continues to unfold, updates are expected from both Microsoft and CrowdStrike. Affected businesses, airlines, banks, and hospitals are advised to follow the guidance provided by these companies to minimize the impact of the IT outage.
