Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced that a recent update released by the American cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike caused a significant global IT outage. This incident, which began on Thursday evening and continued into Friday, affected various industries, including airlines, banks, and TV channels. The issue stemmed from a defective update on CrowdStrike’s Falcon Sensor, a security solution for Windows systems.
Nadella stated that Microsoft is collaborating closely with CrowdStrike and industry partners to provide technical guidance and support to affected customers. CrowdStrike’s CEO George Kurtz confirmed the problem had been identified, isolated, and a fix deployed.
The bug did not impact Mac or Linux systems but caused widespread disruptions for Windows users. Major US airlines such as Delta, United, and American Airlines experienced communication issues, resulting in grounded flights. Air France also reported IT disruptions, though operations at Paris airports continued.
In India, the outage led to significant delays and cancellations in airline services. IndiGo, one of the affected airlines, cancelled around 200 flights, and manual processes for bookings, check-ins, and boarding caused long delays. Union Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu assured passengers that efforts are being made to manage the situation and minimize disruptions.
While Indian financial and payment systems were largely unaffected, minor disruptions occurred in around 10 banks and NBFCs, which have mostly been resolved, according to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
