Global Tech Outage Causes Chaos and Delays for Major Institutions and Businesses

A global tech outage caused chaos for major airlines, businesses, and police forces on Friday as Microsoft computers around the world displayed “Blue Screens of Death.” According to cybersecurity company CrowdStrike, the widespread IT glitch was the result of a routine software update gone wrong, not a cyberattack.

CrowdStrike quickly issued a new software update to automatically fix some affected computers, but others required manual restarts and patches, causing significant delays. While Microsoft announced that its 365 apps and services had recovered by late Friday morning, some computers still faced issues receiving the necessary updates.

The repercussions of the tech outage were felt across the globe, with many flights grounded and stores and broadcasters offline. Major airlines like American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines issued ground stops due to communication issues, leading to flight cancellations and delays for passengers worldwide.

CrowdStrike’s president and CEO, George Kurtz, acknowledged the impact of the outage and apologized for the disruption caused to customers and travelers. He assured that the company had fixed the issue on its end and urged affected users to reboot their systems to restore operations.

Despite the efforts to resolve the issue, Kurtz warned that some systems may take time to fully recover from the glitch. The company is conducting further investigations to determine the root cause of the faulty update that affected Windows PCs.

The global tech outage serves as a stark reminder of the interconnected nature of modern technology and the importance of robust cybersecurity measures to prevent such widespread disruptions in the future. Stay tuned for live updates on the evolving situation as institutions and businesses work to clear up the aftermath of the IT glitch.