A massive IT glitch affecting Microsoft cloud computing services has caused chaos for major airlines, medical facilities, businesses, and police forces around the world. The cybersecurity company CrowdStrike indicated that the outages were due to a routine software update gone wrong, and not a security incident or cyberattack. Microsoft has announced that its 365 apps and services have recovered, but some individual customers may still be impacted.
The glitch has led to flight delays and cancellations, with airlines like American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines issuing ground stops due to communication issues. Passengers traveling to the United States from as far as Japan have had their flights canceled. CrowdStrike’s president and CEO, George Kurtz, apologized for the impact and stated that the issue has been fixed on their end.
Businesses in the UK, including train operators and the London Stock Exchange, have also been affected, with IT outages leading to cancellations and disruptions. In Europe, airports in Berlin, Spain, and South Korea reported technical problems and delays. In Israel, at least 15 major hospitals were affected, while the country’s ambulance service’s emergency line was also disrupted.
The outage has had a global impact, affecting news outlets like NBC News and Sky News, as well as broadcasters in Australia. The Paris Olympics organizing committee reported operational delays, but ticket sales remained unaffected. The glitch has caused widespread disruptions, with many institutions and businesses experiencing delays as they work to resolve the issues caused by the IT malfunction.
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