A global IT outage has caused significant disruption across various sectors, affecting major brands worldwide. The outage is believed to have originated from a fault in a Microsoft Windows update, impacting Microsoft’s 365 apps and operating systems. This has had a far-reaching impact, affecting banks, airlines, and even forcing Sky News to go off-air.
Microsoft 365 has confirmed that it is taking “mitigation actions” to resolve the issue. The outage is believed to be linked to an anti-virus software update from cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike. Most Windows users are experiencing the ‘Blue Screen of Death’, impacting their ability to access apps and services.
In the UK, the majority of GP practices are experiencing disruption. Several airports, including Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, and Edinburgh, have been impacted. Rail operators such as Avanti West Coast, Great Western Railway, Southern, and Thameslink are also affected.
The global tech outage has affected operations in different sectors internationally. With the move to the cloud, CrowdStrike’s software, which suffered a defect update sparking the outage, is running on millions of computers around the world.
Several African businesses have also been affected by the global Microsoft outage. Notably, South Africa’s largest bank by customer numbers, Capitec, is facing an outage due to problems with its international service provider. Airlink, a local airline company, has also been impacted by the outage.
As the situation continues to develop, it is clear that the outage has highlighted the vulnerabilities of our increasingly interconnected digital world. It serves as a reminder of the importance of robust cybersecurity measures and the need for effective crisis management in the face of such disruptions.
