Massive Tech Failure Causes Global Travel Chaos
A massive tech failure has caused chaos around the world, with travel, banking, and healthcare services all badly affected. Flights have been grounded due to an IT outage, leading to many computers displaying blue error screens. This issue has resulted in long queues, delays, and flight cancellations at airports globally, as passengers had to be manually checked in.
Cyber-security firm Crowdstrike admitted that the problem was caused by an update to its antivirus software, which is designed to protect Microsoft Windows devices from malicious attacks. Microsoft has stated it is taking “mitigation action” to deal with the lingering impact of the outage.
What Caused the Outage?
The cause of the outage remains somewhat unclear. Crowdstrike is known for producing antivirus software that prevents hackers from causing this type of disruption. According to Crowdstrike’s boss, George Kurtz, the issues are only impacting Windows PCs and no other operating systems, and were caused by a defect in a recent update.
- Antivirus Software Update: The flaw in the antivirus software update is the root cause of this chaos.
- Windows PCs Impacted: Only Windows PCs were affected, not other operating systems.
- Not a Cyber-Attack: This issue is not a security incident or cyber-attack.
The exact details of what was wrong with the update have not been revealed yet. However, it seems that just one rogue file could be at the root of all the mayhem. Crowdstrike has identified, isolated, and deployed a fix for the issue.
When Will It Be Fixed?
The fix for this massive tech failure could take some time. George Kurtz emphasized that it is Crowdstrike’s mission to ensure every one of its customers recovers completely from the outage. The firm has apologized for the impact caused to customers, travelers, and anyone else affected by this issue.
- Mission to Recover: Crowdstrike is dedicated to helping all affected customers recover from this outage.
- Timeframe for Fixes: While some systems can be fixed quickly, others might take hours or even longer.
- Manual Fix Required: The fix will have to be applied separately to each affected device, requiring a manual reboot in safe mode.
This situation is causing a massive headache for IT departments everywhere, as each computer needs individual attention to resolve the issue.
What’s the Solution?
It’s important to note that personal devices like your home computer or mobile phone are unlikely to have been affected. This outage is impacting businesses, not individual users. Microsoft is advising clients to try a classic troubleshooting method: turning the device off and on again, sometimes up to 15 times.
- Rebooting Solution: Microsoft suggests rebooting devices, sometimes up to 15 times, as an effective troubleshooting step.
- Expert Fix: For those with more in-depth computing knowledge, deleting a specific file might be necessary. This fix is intended for experts and IT professionals, not regular users.
Which Airports Have Been Affected?
The problems have emerged worldwide, first noticed in Australia, and have severely impacted the air travel industry. More than 3,300 flights were canceled globally. UK airports saw delays with long queues at London’s Stansted and Gatwick.
- Global Impact: The issue has affected airports globally, with over 3,300 flights canceled.
- UK Airports: Long queues and delays were reported at Stansted and Gatwick.
- Airline Cancellations: Ryanair, British Airways, and several US airlines, including United, Delta, and American Airlines, grounded their flights.
- Other Countries: Airports in Tokyo, Amsterdam, and Delhi were also impacted.
The problems have also hit payment systems, banking, and healthcare providers around the world. Railway companies, including Britain’s biggest, Southern, Thameslink, Gatwick Express, and Great Northern, warned passengers to expect delays. In Alaska, the 911 emergency service was affected, and Sky News was off air for several hours.
How Could It Affect You?
The outage might also impact people getting paid on time. Melanie Pizzey, head of the Global Payroll Association, mentioned that numerous clients couldn’t access their payroll software. This could mean firms are unable to process staff payments this week, potentially causing a backlog for the coming month.
- Payroll Delays: Firms may face delays in processing payrolls, affecting employees’ monthly wages.
- Personal Devices Unaffected: Most people’s personal computers are not impacted by this issue.
If you’re worried about your personal devices, there’s good news. The software at the center of this outage is generally used by businesses, meaning that personal computers are not impacted. You don’t need to delete any files to avoid your computer restarting constantly.
What is Crowdstrike?
Crowdstrike, a company not exactly a household name, is at the heart of this worldwide disarray. The US firm, based in Austin, Texas, is a listed company on the US stock exchange, featuring in both the S&P 500 and the high-tech Nasdaq indexes.
- Company Background: Crowdstrike, founded 13 years ago, employs nearly 8,500 people and provides cyber-security services.
- High-Profile Investigations: The firm has been involved in investigations of several high-profile cyber-attacks, such as the Sony Pictures hack in 2014.
- Flawed Update: This time, due to a flawed update to its software, Crowdstrike has caused an IT problem instead of solving one.
Crowdstrike declared nearly 24,000 customers in its last earnings report, highlighting the size of the issue. Each of these customers is a large organization, making it difficult to estimate the number of individual computers affected.
Conclusion
This massive tech failure has caused significant disruption globally, impacting travel, banking, and healthcare services. The problem originated from a flawed update to Crowdstrike’s antivirus software, affecting only Windows PCs. While Crowdstrike and Microsoft are working on solutions, the fix involves manual reboots and could take some time. Although personal devices are mostly unaffected, the impact on businesses and travelers is substantial.
Source : BBC News