Crowdstrike and Microsoft: What we know about global IT outage

A significant IT outage has caused widespread disruption globally, affecting travel, banking, and healthcare services. Many flights have been grounded, leading to long queues and delays at airports. The issue stems from an update to the Falcon antivirus software, developed by cyber-security firm Crowdstrike, which is designed to protect Microsoft Windows devices from malicious attacks. Microsoft has stated that it is taking 'mitigation action' to address the 'lingering impact' of the outage.

Crowdstrike's CEO, George Kurtz, explained that the problem is limited to Windows PCs and was caused by a defect in a recent update. He emphasized that this is not a security incident or cyber-attack. The exact nature of the defect is unclear, but it appears that a single rogue file may be at the root of the chaos. Kurtz assured that the issue has been identified, isolated, and a fix has been deployed. However, he warned that it could take some time for all affected systems to be fully operational again. Each device will require a manual reboot in safe mode, posing a significant challenge for IT departments worldwide.

Microsoft is advising clients to try the classic troubleshooting method of turning their devices off and on again, sometimes up to 15 times. For users of virtual machines, multiple reboots may be necessary. Additionally, Microsoft is instructing customers with advanced computing knowledge to delete a specific file, a solution also shared by a Crowdstrike employee on social media. However, this fix is intended for IT professionals, not regular users.

The problems have been reported globally, with the initial impact felt in Australia and the air travel industry being particularly hard hit. UK airports, including London's Stansted and Gatwick, experienced delays and long queues. Ryanair and EasyJet had to cancel several flights, while US airlines such as United, Delta, and American Airlines grounded flights worldwide. Australian carriers Virgin Australia and Jetstar also faced delays and cancellations. Airports in Tokyo, Amsterdam, and Delhi were similarly affected.

The outage has also disrupted payment systems, banking, and healthcare providers. Railway companies, including Britain's largest operator, warned passengers to expect delays. In Alaska, the 911 emergency service was affected, and Sky News was off the air for several hours.

The outage could also impact payroll processing, potentially delaying employee payments. Melanie Pizzey, head of the Global Payroll Association, reported that numerous clients were unable to access their payroll software. She warned that this could create a backlog in payroll processing, affecting monthly wage disbursements.

Fortunately, personal devices like home computers and mobile phones are unlikely to be affected, as the software at the center of the outage is primarily used by businesses. Crowdstrike, based in Austin, Texas, is a relatively young company, founded 13 years ago. It has grown rapidly, employing nearly 8,500 people and serving almost 24,000 customers. The company is known for its role in investigating high-profile cyber-attacks, but this time, a flawed update to its software has caused the problem.

The scale of the issue is significant, given the number of large organizations Crowdstrike serves. Each of these organizations has numerous individual computers, making the task of fixing the problem daunting. Crowdstrike has expressed deep regret for the disruption caused and is committed to ensuring that all affected customers recover fully. Additional reporting by Imran Rahman-Jones, Liv McMahon, and Tiffany Wertheimer.