A significant technology outage has caused widespread disruptions across various sectors globally, impacting airlines, government services, banks, supermarkets, telecoms, and media outlets. The root cause of the outage remains under investigation, but it follows a statement from Microsoft about issues affecting access to its Microsoft 365 apps and services.
The cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, whose software is extensively used for protection against cyber threats, has been identified as a key player in the unfolding situation. The outage has led to crashes in machines running Microsoft Windows. CrowdStrike acknowledged awareness of the Windows operating system crashes through a recorded message.
In the United States, major airlines including Delta, United, and American Airlines experienced grounding due to communication issues, as confirmed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Sydney Airport in Australia faced blank flight information screens and malfunctioning self-service checkouts at supermarkets Woolworths and Coles. Although flights continued, delays were expected.
European airports such as Amsterdam’s Schiphol and all airports in Spain reported disruptions. The UK’s Sky News and Australia’s national broadcaster also confirmed system issues, causing interruptions in services like morning news broadcasts.
The outage’s impact extended to financial institutions like Bendigo Bank in Australia, which reported issues with online banking and transactions. Australia’s National Cyber Security Coordinator stated that the outage stemmed from a technical issue with a third-party software platform and did not appear to be a cybersecurity incident.
CrowdStrike, recognized for its cybersecurity capabilities, released its 2024 Global Threat Report highlighting the rapid pace at which attackers compromise networks. The report emphasized the increased use of valid credentials and legitimate tools over malware, complicating the detection of cyber threats. CrowdStrike’s advanced AI-powered Falcon platform has been instrumental in defending against such sophisticated attacks.
Despite the significant disruptions, there is no indication that the outage was due to a cyberattack. Companies and institutions affected are implementing contingency plans and manual operations to mitigate the impact.
