Microsoft CrowdStrike 365 Outage Resolved After 17 Hours, All Apps Restored

A global technology outage grounded flights, disrupted hospitals and backed up border crossings in Canada on Friday. Issues persisted hours after problems with Microsoft services were said to be fixed.

Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike said the problem occurred when it deployed a faulty update to computers running Microsoft Windows – and that the outage was not a security incident or cyberattack. The issue affected Microsoft 365 apps and services, and escalating disruptions continued after the technology company said it was gradually fixing the problem.

Microsoft resolved the issues and tweeted about the news

“After an extended period of monitoring, we’ve determined that the issue is mitigated, and all previously impacted Microsoft 365 apps and service have recovered. For more information, see MO821132 within the admin center.

After an extended period of monitoring, we’ve determined that the issue is mitigated, and all previously impacted Microsoft 365 apps and service have recovered. For more information, see MO821132 within the admin center.

— Microsoft 365 Status (@MSFT365Status) July 19, 2024

 

Worldwide Tech Failure Plays Havoc With Flight Banks Hospitals..

A global technology outage caused by a faulty software update on Friday grounded flights, knocked banks and media outlets offline, and disrupted hospitals, small businesses, and other services. The outage highlighted the fragility of a digitized world dependent on just a handful of providers.

The trouble with the update issued by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike and affecting computers running Microsoft Windows was not a hacking incident or cyberattack, according to CrowdStrike, which apologized and said a fix was on the way.

But hours later, the disruptions continued — and escalated.

Long lines formed at airports in the U.S., Europe, and Asia as airlines lost access to check-in and booking services at a time when many travelers are heading away on summer vacations. Hospitals and doctors’ offices had problems with their appointment systems and canceled non-urgent surgeries. Several TV stations in the U.S. were also prevented from airing local news early Friday.

A Disturbing Reminder Of Vulnerability..

“This is a very, very uncomfortable illustration of the fragility of the world’s core internet infrastructure,” said Ciaran Martin, a professor at Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government and former Head of Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre.

Cyber expert James Bore said the outage would cause real harm because systems people have come to rely on at critical times will not be available. Hospitals, for example, will struggle to arrange appointments, and those who need care may not get it—and this could lead to deaths, he said.

“All of these systems are running the same software,” Bore said. “We’ve made all of these tools so widespread that when things inevitably go wrong — and they will, as we’ve seen — they go wrong at a huge scale.”

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