A flawed update from Crowdstrike caused a global IT outage affecting millions of Windows devices and disrupting various services including flights, government agencies, and businesses.
Approximately 8.5 million devices were affected globally leading to the cancellation of over 5,000 flights and delays for thousands more.
Government services in Australia were impacted and scammers took advantage of the situation by posing as technical support representatives to trick people into downloading malware.
Microsoft advised users to uninstall the problematic update until a fix was available.
The malfunction in Crowdstrike's Falcon software disabled systems interacting with Microsoft Windows products.
The outage caused significant disruptions in commercial air service, affecting technology used to calculate aircraft weight and check in customers.
A global IT outage caused by a flawed update from the cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike affected millions of Windows devices worldwide and disrupted various services including flights, government agencies, and businesses. The update to Crowdstrike's Falcon software caused a malfunction that disabled systems interacting with Microsoft Windows products. According to reports, around 8.5 million devices were affected globally, leading to the cancellation of over 5,000 flights and delays for thousands more.
The outage also impacted various government services in Australia and caused disruptions at supermarkets and other businesses. The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry reported that scammers took advantage of the situation by posing as technical support representatives to trick people into downloading malware. Microsoft, which estimated the number of affected devices, advised users to uninstall the problematic update until a fix was available.
The outage also caused significant disruptions in commercial air service. At United Airlines, for instance, technology used to calculate aircraft weight and check in customers was affected. The transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg, acknowledged that even after the root cause of the issue was addressed, passengers could still experience delays throughout the day.
Crowdstrike has not yet commented on the situation publicly. It is important to note that while Crowdstrike is a reputable cybersecurity firm, no software or technology is immune to bugs and errors. This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of having contingency plans in place and being prepared for unexpected disruptions.
More than 5,400 flights were canceled and over 21,300 flights were delayed in the US on Friday and Saturday due to a global tech outage.
Delta has paused unaccompanied minor travel until Monday due to the outage.
Accuracy
The US Department of Transportation determined that the flight delays and cancellations resulting from the system outage were ‘controllable’ and airlines must adhere to their customer service commitments.
Deception
(5%)
The article contains selective reporting as it only reports details that support the author's position of airlines experiencing flight cancellations and delays due to a global tech outage. The article does not mention any potential causes or implications beyond the impact on airlines and passengers. Additionally, there is emotional manipulation through quotes from stranded passengers expressing frustration and uncertainty.
Additional cancelations are expected as some of Delta's technology continues to recover from Friday morning's vendor-caused issue.
Thousands of people face the same uncertainty as they cram together in airports across the country, waiting for answers.
Fallacies
(95%)
The article contains some instances of inflammatory rhetoric and appeals to authority, but no formal or blatant logical fallacies were found. The author provides accurate information about the number of flight cancellations and delays caused by the tech outage, as well as quotes from experts explaining the cause and extent of the issue.
][Dalia Faheid] The outage 'has basically turned computers into bricks around the world.'[[/],
A technology outage caused by a flawed update from the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike affected thousands of flights worldwide and caused around 5,117 flights to be canceled (4.6%).
At United Airlines, the outage affected technology used to calculate aircraft weight, check in customers and operate call-center phone systems.
Accuracy
Around 110,000 commercial flights were scheduled on July 19, and around 5,117 of those flights were canceled (4.6%).
In the United States, over 2,300 flights were canceled (9% of daily flights) as of Friday afternoon.
More than 5,400 flights were canceled and over 21,300 flights were delayed in the US on Friday and Saturday
