On Friday morning, a massive and ongoing global IT outage struck, affecting a range of critical services and sectors worldwide. The primary issue appears to be with Microsoft 365 services and apps, which are integral to the operations of numerous companies and organizations. The disruption has impacted airports, airlines, banks, broadcasters, and even emergency services.
Widespread Impact: The outage has had a global reach, affecting major sectors including:
- Airports: Scanning technology at airports from New Zealand to the UK failed, leading to manual handling of boarding passes and delays.
- Airlines: Issues with online check-in have been reported, with budget airline Ryanair advising passengers to arrive at least three hours early.
- Banks: Financial institutions worldwide are experiencing difficulties, disrupting banking services.
- Broadcasters: Many TV channels are affected, with some like Sky News broadcasting from mobile devices due to studio equipment failures.
- Emergency Services: Critical 911 emergency lines in various US states have been reported as down, including Minnesota, Arizona, Indiana, Ohio, and New Hampshire.
- Cause and Context: The outage has been linked to a faulty update from CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity firm responsible for securing many Windows PCs and services globally. This incident highlights the vulnerability of shared internet infrastructure and how a single failure can trigger widespread disruptions, reminiscent of the Fastly outage in 2021.
- Stock Exchange Disruption: The London Stock Exchange was also impacted, further emphasizing the extent of the outage’s reach.
- Passenger and Flight Disruptions:
- US Flights: The Federal Aviation Authority has grounded flights from major carriers such as American Airlines, United, and Delta. Travelers are advised to check with their airlines and arrive earlier than usual.
- International Airports: Issues with boarding pass technology have led to significant delays, with manual processing being employed.
- Contingency Measures: The Paris Olympics organizing committee has reported being affected but is reportedly prepared with contingency plans.
This massive outage underscores the critical role of robust and resilient technological infrastructure in maintaining global operations and emergency services.
