What's next?
When a major incident occurs, there is always a trail of takeaways to uncover.
As the immediate impacts of the global outage wind-down, here are some thoughts for CIOs and CISOs, as we go forward: https://t.co/BBVOHwK95F pic.twitter.com/snID7PSTNt
— BlackBerry (@BlackBerry) July 30, 2024
A major internet outage stemming from a faulty software update disrupted operations across various sectors globally, emphasizing the fragility of our digitized world. The outage, which cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike attributed to an issue with Microsoft Windows, caused widespread disruptions in airline industries. Passengers at major airports in the United States and Europe found themselves stranded, facing significant delays.
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Microsoft's Azure outage was triggered by a DDoS attack, due to an error in its protection mechanisms. Thanks @SeanWrightSec for commentshttps://t.co/PRiqYP3Sb0
— Kate O'Flaherty (@KateOflaherty) July 31, 2024
In the United States, airlines such as American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Spirit Airlines, and Allegiant Air all experienced grounding of flights. Systems crucial for checking in passengers and calculating aircraft weight were rendered inoperable. The Federal Aviation Administration reported over 70 flights canceled early Friday morning at Los Angeles International Airport alone.
At Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, information screens displayed error messages throughout the day. Passengers took to social media to share their frustrations.
As we saw with the pandemic-era supply chain crisis, we can no longer rely on a few mega-corporations to keep our economy moving.
Last weekend's IT outages proved it — offering an urgent lesson: Public interest must come before private pockets.https://t.co/6HkDkRawQc
— Groundwork Collaborative (@Groundwork) July 28, 2024
Sarah Schafer, a traveler at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, had been waiting for almost three hours, unsure of when or where her flight would be rebooked.
Healthcare systems globally also faced significant impacts. In the United States, Harris Health System in Houston suspended hospital visits and elective procedures. Providence Health System, with 51 hospitals across several states, canceled appointments due to the outage.
You've likely heard about, and been impacted by, the CrowdStrike outage that happened just before the weekend. This is what the ripple effects are looking like across global supply chains. https://t.co/1SyWANL5n9#CrowdStrike #globaltrade #technology
— Livingston Intl. (@livingston_intl) July 29, 2024
The New York-based Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center paused procedures requiring anesthesia, while Massachusetts’ largest healthcare system, Mass General Brigham, canceled all nonurgent surgeries.
CrowdStrike software glitch exacts toll
The Cleveland Clinic, however, reported no impact on patient care.
In Canada, the University Health Network continued clinical activity but warned patients of potential delays. The UK’s National Health Service reported widespread disruption in doctors’ offices but assured that emergency services remained operational. People seeking to enter the U.S. through the northern and southern borders faced long delays.
At the San Ysidro Port of Entry, pedestrians waited up to three hours, and even vehicles under the “Trusted Traveler” program experienced up to 90-minute delays. In Detroit, Windsor Police reported lengthy waits at both the Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor tunnel as a result of the outage. Even the coffee giant Starbucks was not immune to the outage.
Customers were unable to place orders online or via mobile apps. The company acknowledged the inconvenience and stated that a majority of its stores and drive-thrus remained operational. The outage served as a sobering reminder of how dependent global operations have become on a handful of technology providers.
CrowdStrike confirmed that the issue originated from their software update sent to Microsoft computers used by many corporate clients. Businesses across industries scrambled to mitigate the disruptions, highlighting the need for more resilient and diversified technological frameworks moving forward. The global outage underscores the critical nature of IT infrastructure in maintaining daily operations in numerous sectors.
As the world becomes increasingly digital, the robustness and reliability of these systems are more vital than ever.
