A major IT outage on Friday caused by a flaw in an update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike for its “Falcon Sensor” software led to the crashing of Microsoft systems worldwide. This resulted in numerous devices displaying the infamous “Blue Screen of Death,” rendering them useless.
The global tech disruption brought operations to a standstill across various industries, including airports, airlines, banks, media outlets, and healthcare.
Airports and Airlines
The aviation industry was severely impacted, with flight delays, cancellations, manual check-ins, and halted flights. In India, airlines such as SpiceJet, IndiGo, Akasa Air, Vistara, Air India, and Air India Express faced significant issues. Online booking services for SpiceJet and IndiGo were disrupted.
High-density airports like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Chennai saw passengers clashing with airline staff over delays and cancellations. Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport cancelled around 23 flights, including IndiGo flights to Visakhapatnam, Tirupati, Ahmedabad, and Bengaluru.
Internationally, airports in Berlin, Lisbon, Amsterdam, Brussels, and Budapest were affected. Major US carriers, including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines, halted flights, while Australia’s Qantas faced delays. London Gatwick and Stansted airports saw 90% of flights delayed or cancelled. Ryanair also had to cancel a few flights.
Financial Sector
The financial sector was not spared. Companies like JP Morgan Chase & Co, Macquarie Capital, Barclays, and Brazilian lender Bradesco experienced disruptions. Commonwealth Bank in Australia faced issues with instant fund transfers, while South African banks Capitec and Absa reported disruptions before restoring services.
In Germany, Allianz employees couldn’t log into their systems, and several banks experienced outages. The London Stock Exchange Group’s Workspace news and data platform also suffered disruptions. In India, some brokerages faced technical difficulties.
Media
Media operations were significantly impacted. Britain’s Sky News had to operate at minimum capacity, and Australia’s state broadcaster ABC experienced a major network outage, affecting regular programming at Sky News Australia.
Healthcare and Emergency Services
Healthcare services in England, the Netherlands, and Germany were disrupted, though emergency services in England were reportedly unaffected. Copenhagen’s fire department in Denmark had issues accessing automated fire alarms, urging people to call emergency numbers directly. Victoria state police in Australia faced internal system issues, but emergency services remained operational.
In the US, Mass General Brigham, a non-profit hospital chain, cancelled non-urgent surgeries, procedures, and medical visits. Quest Diagnostics operated with limited capacity, and Labcorp’s delivery of physician and patient portals was impacted.
