Global Microsoft 365 Outages Today: Major Impact on Critical Services

Global Microsoft 365 Outages Today: Major Impact on Critical Services

A Technical Glitch with CrowdStrike Software

A widespread outage impacted banks, airlines, television networks, and health systems globally due to a technical problem with CrowdStrike's software. CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity firm, supplies antivirus software to Microsoft for its Windows devices. An update from CrowdStrike caused significant disruptions, affecting Microsoft 365 apps and services and leading to global IT system failures. CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz clarified that the issue was a technical glitch, not a cyberattack, and assured that it had been isolated and resolved.

Massively Affected Worldwide Airports

The aviation sector bore the brunt of the outages, with over 1,800 flight cancellations in the U.S. and 28,000 delays worldwide. Major airlines like American, Delta, and United experienced severe disruptions, though operations gradually resumed. European and Asian airports also faced significant challenges, with manual operations implemented in places like Delhi’s main airport.

Hospitals Were Severely Affected, Too

Healthcare services were severely impacted as well. Hospitals in Germany canceled elective surgeries, and doctors in the U.K. struggled to access online booking systems. Pharmacies reported issues with medicine deliveries and prescription access. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services was assessing the outage's impact on patient care and services.

Stock Exchanges and Retail Services Were Affected As Well

The outages extended beyond aviation and healthcare. The London Stock Exchange experienced disruptions in its regulatory news service, while the New York Stock Exchange remained operational. Retail services, including Starbucks and FedEx, reported disruptions, with Starbucks' mobile ordering down and potential package delivery delays from FedEx.

US Government Agencies Stayed Up Using Contingency Plans

Government entities like the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation reported system impacts but maintained operations through contingency plans and workarounds.

Microsoft and CrowdStrike Working to Restore Service

Microsoft and CrowdStrike acted swiftly to address the issue. Microsoft announced the completion of mitigation actions, noting that affected Microsoft 365 apps and services were recovering. However, experts warned that the resolution process could take days due to the need for manual intervention on individual client computers affected by the "Blue Screen of Death." CrowdStrike's CEO emphasized ongoing efforts to assist clients in restoring full operational capacity.

This incident highlights the vulnerabilities in global IT systems and the importance of rapid, effective responses to mitigate widespread disruptions.

Source:  CBS News -  WORLD Microsoft outages caused by CrowdStrike software glitch paralyze airlines, other businesses. Here's what to know. 

Image:  Rene Rauschenberger from Pixabay

Image:  Microsoft