Microsoft global outage: Crowdstrike updates on 'fix' for bug; all we know so far

A global Microsoft outage disrupted flights, news broadcasts, and services worldwide. CrowdStrike identified the issue, impacting various sectors, but resolved it quickly without security breaches.

Published on Jul 19, 2024  |  05:47 PM IST |  23.4K
Microsoft Screenshot
Microsoft global outage (PC: Microsoft Screenshot)
Key Highlight
  • The outage caused nearly 1,400 flight cancellations globally
  • CrowdStrike CEO confirmed the outage was due to a software interaction

On Friday Microsoft services went down globally that disrupted many sectors. CrowdStrike, a leading cybersecurity company, experienced interruptions during their news broadcasts shutting them down and their flights stopped all over the world leaving them grounded. 

Three major US airlines had all their flights suspended; these are American, United and Delta airlines. In Australia, there was recognition by New South Wales Police Force regarding the crash followed by disruption at Sydney Airport which is among the busiest transport hubs in the country.

Grounded flights everywhere

Almost 1,400 flights were canceled worldwide according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. While the U.S saw 512 cancellations, Germany had 92 cancellations. India registered 56 flight cancellations while Italy had 45 and Canada marked 21 cancellations across different airports within respective countries. 

At Bangalore International Airport, Terminal 1 where most of its operation was affected with more than 90 percent of flights being disrupted. On top of that Dubai Airport passengers faced delays due to paused operations.

American Airlines later apologized for the inconvenience caused, saying that it had restored operations finally after which the FAA monitored because such ground stops helped until things were sorted out.

CrowdStrike and other services disruption

George Kurtz stated clearly that this downtime was not because of hacking but due to antivirus software conflicts. There were no effects on Macs as well as Linux operating systems; so an update was issued immediately. However, CrowdStrike could cost 16bn USD loss or even more- up to about a fifth of its total value.

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The effect also extended to other services provided too by various companies who felt their impacts. Washington D.C. Metro initially warned of delays before confirming that everything was running as usual. 

Community pharmacy services were disrupted in the UK affecting access to prescriptions and delivery of medicines. Customers were asked by the National Pharmacy Association to be patient.

Wider implications and fixes

This system failure raised questions about cybersecurity, but it was not a security breach according to official sources. Indian airlines had to rely on human assistance at airports because check-in systems failed and it was also reported by the UK’s National Pharmacy Association that these problems have affected them. 

Nevertheless, Microsoft was able to promptly respond thus having eliminated many cases that occurred in several places. Their efforts showed how essential an effective IT infrastructure is together with a faster recovery strategy in preventing downtime that can last for long thereby maintaining some vital functions within an organization like this one here.

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ALSO READ: Microsoft global outage affects airlines and companies; millions of Windows users report 'Blue Screen of Death'

FAQs

What caused the Microsoft outage?
The outage was due to an interaction with antivirus software, not a cyberattack.

Which sectors were most affected by the outage?
Airlines, news broadcasts, and community pharmacy services were among the most impacted sectors.

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About The Author

Shovan has a Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism degree from Calcutta University. He loves to live in the

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