Massive IT outage disrupts airlines, banks, and supermarkets worldwide
A major global IT outage has disrupted operations for airlines, banks, supermarkets, and media organizations. The issue has led to widespread blue screen errors on Windows PCs, attributed to a problem with CrowdStrike's Falcon security product. Microsoft confirmed that its cloud services in parts of America were affected, impacting access to Microsoft 365 applications and services such as Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint. The incident caused significant operational challenges, including grounded flights and delayed services across various sectors.
In Australia, companies like Qantas, Coles, Woolworths, and media outlets including ABC and Nine News experienced significant disruptions. The federal and NSW governments were also impacted. National Cyber Security Coordinator Michelle McGuinness stated that there is no evidence to suggest the outage is a result of a cyber attack. CrowdStrike acknowledged the issue and assured that engineers are working to resolve it. Users experiencing the blue screen error have been advised to await further updates.
Globally, the outage affected several services and organizations, with reports coming from the US, Europe, and Asia. The London Stock Exchange, Sky News, and Ryanair were among the affected entities. The widespread nature of the problem has caused significant social media reaction and operational delays in numerous industries. Microsoft and CrowdStrike are actively investigating and working on solutions to mitigate the impact of this major IT disruption.
