Overview of Incident:
On Thursday night, a significant IT outage occurred globally, impacting various sectors due to issues originating from CrowdStrike and affecting Microsoft services.
Impact on Microsoft and Airlines:
Microsoft services experienced disruptions, causing Frontier Airlines to ground flights for two hours and affecting other operations. Windows users encountered crashes and blue screens linked to a faulty CrowdStrike update, specifically the Falcon Sensor.
Resolution Progress:
By 1 a.m. Friday, Microsoft reported resolving Azure and Microsoft 365 issues in the US, although challenges persisted globally. Efforts continued to restore full functionality.
Global Reach of Disruption:
The outage extended internationally, affecting banks, airports, and airlines in countries such as Japan and Australia. Institutions like the London Stock Exchange and media outlets faced disruptions in the UK and Australia.
Airlines and Emergency Services Affected:
Major US airlines, including American, Delta, and United, experienced ground stops due to communication breakdowns following Microsoft’s cloud service issues. Manual check-ins and handwritten boarding passes became necessary.
Impact on Essential Services:
The outage led to disruptions in emergency services like 911 across several US states and affected operations at McDonald’s Japan, where a third of stores closed due to cash register system issues.
CrowdStrike’s Role:
Clarifications emphasized that the outage primarily stemmed from a CrowdStrike issue impacting Microsoft PCs, rather than a core Microsoft system failure.
CrowdStrike’s Response and Solution:
CrowdStrike identified a faulty update to the Falcon Sensor, which monitors endpoint activity. This update caused crashes and BSOD on endpoints worldwide. A patch was released, and efforts to roll back the update were underway to mitigate further disruptions.
Long-term Impact and Recovery:
Both CrowdStrike and Microsoft acknowledged the issue, with ongoing efforts to restore services globally. The recovery process involved applying patches and ensuring system stability across affected sectors.
Update
CrowdStrike’s CEO has clarified that the recent global IT outages were not the result of a cyberattack and that a fix has been put in place. However, the company’s stock has fallen 20% in pre-market trading.
CrowdStrike’s CEO says they are actively working with customers impacted by a defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts. Mac and Linux hosts are not affected.
Update
CrowdStrike Faces Investor Class Action Lawsuit Following Outage and Stock Drop
Delta’s CEO said that the IT outage earlier this month involving CrowdStrike and Microsoft will cost the company $500 million, according to CNBC.
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