- Microsoft core systems have been crashing for thousands of users around the world. When these users are trying to log into their system, they are met with the dreaded blue error screen.
- CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity company, has taken responsibility for the outage. In an official statement, it said that it was trying to update its software for Microsoft. However, the update file had a bug that hit Microsoft’s systems.
- Both companies are already working to fix the issue and according to Microsoft, the underlying problem has already been solved. However, it will be a while before all the systems are back up.
- Major airlines from the US, Europe, Japan, and India had to cancel their flights. Hospitals, pharmacies, and supermarkets have also reported trouble accessing patient records and accepting card payments respectively.
A global outage of Microsoft’s beloved Windows software has brought almost half the world to a standstill. From airports to supermarkets and banking services, many crucial day-to-day services have been disrupted in this global IT outage.
The exact timing of the outage is unknown but complaints about it started pouring in from all over the world early on Friday. Airlines were one of the first affected parties to report the issue.
The Issue
The problem surrounds Microsoft’s Windows service – Microsoft 365, Office, and other services have also been affected. Users around the world are faced with what’s come to be known as the “Blue Screen of Death (BSoD)” when they try to log into their system.
The screen displays an error message saying that the system has run into some errors and will shortly restart after collecting the error info. Underneath that is a percentage indicator showing how much progress has been made.
Now usually, whenever a Windows device runs into a problem, a similar blue screen pops up and usually the issue automatically resolves in a while – no big deal. But this time it’s different. Users are stuck at the blue screen for hours, with no sign of recovery.
Cause
Previously, it was thought to be an internal Microsoft issue but as it turns out, this entire global outage was caused by a cybersecurity firm called CrowdStrike.
The company took responsibility for this outage and said that the error was caused by its “content update” for Microsoft. Apparently, there was a bug in the update file that hit Microsoft’s system.
CEO George Kurtz also added that this is a purely technical issue and there’s no reason to be worried about cybersecurity.
Also, Mac and Linux hosts have not been impacted by this attack. On a side note, as a result of this outage, CrowdStrike’s shares dipped by 15% on the Nasdaq stock exchange in New York, wiping off $12.5 billion from the company’s overall market value.
Consequences
This is one of the biggest IT outages to happen in a long time and has brought almost half the world to a standstill.
The aviation industry was hit the worst. Almost 1,400 flights have been canceled globally. Many major carriers from all over the world such as Delta (USA), Turkish Airlines, Dutch Airlines (Netherlands), Qantas (Australia), and Indigo (India) had to either cancel or delay their flights.
- Images from Gatwick Airport in London and Edinburgh Airport show endless queues and hundreds of passengers stranded in the waiting area.
- Switzerland’s largest airport, Zurich, had to stop flights from landing because it didn’t have the necessary technical resources to enable a safe touchdown.
- Similar issues have been noted at airports in Japan, New Zealand, India, and Amsterdam. In short, it’s a mess.
- In addition to that, popular UK supermarkets such as Morrison’s, Waitrose, and Aldi are experiencing trouble accepting card payments.
- Even hospitals and pharmacies in the UK have been affected as they are unable to access patient records and staff roasters. Last we heard that two German hospitals in Luebeck and Kiel canceled all non-urgent surgeries.
What Now?
Well, for starters, CrowdStrike apologized for the inconvenience its software update caused and assured all users that it was being fixed.
‘We’re deeply sorry for the impact that we’ve caused to customers, to travelers, to anyone affected by this, including our companies’ – George Kurtz
In an earlier update, Microsoft said that the underlying issue has been fixed, but there’s some residual impact that continues to affect service.
So when can everything go back to normal? We don’t have a definite answer for that. Kurtz said that it will be “a while” before all the systems recover while some cyber security experts have warned that it could actually take days.
On the brighter side, we checked DownDetector – a platform that tracks which sites may have tech issues. We found that the number of users reporting issues for services like Visa, Tesco, XBOX, Microsoft, and Sainsbury has significantly gone down.
This might suggest that slowly but steadily, things are going back to normal.
Lessons from This Outage
This outage was a wake-up call that we are way too dependent on one company. If a problem with Microsoft wreaks such a global havoc, it’s time to reevaluate our options.
On the other hand, Microsoft should also do better. It knows that almost all major companies from every industry are dependent on its services and one error could have a rippling effect across the globe.
It also knows that technology is not always reliable. Outages, errors, and crashes are a part of it. So a backup or a safety net should have been in place that could at least minimize the impact.
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