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Microsoft CrowdStrike outage
Microsoft Outage: ‘We Are Aware & Working Closely With CrowdStrike,’ Says CEO Satya Nadella
Microsoft and CrowdStrike are addressing a global outage affecting numerous sectors, including banks and airlines. On Friday, Microsoft acknowledged the widespread disruptions caused by an update to CrowdStrike’s Falcon Sensor, which impacted access to Microsoft 365 apps and services. Despite initial improvements, issues persisted, and the exact cause and scale of the disruption remained unclear.
DownDetector, a platform tracking internet outages, reported significant issues hours later. However, Microsoft confirmed that the underlying cause of the outage has been fixed, although residual impacts continue to affect some customers. The ongoing Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) issue is expected to persist for a while.
Microsoft’s Response A Microsoft spokesperson stated, “We’re aware of an issue affecting Windows devices due to an update from a third-party software platform. We anticipate a resolution is forthcoming.” The outage disrupted operations across the globe, particularly in airports, airlines, and businesses. Airlines such as IndiGo, SpiceJet, and Akasa faced significant disruptions, forcing them to switch to manual check-in and boarding processes.
Despite the global disruptions, some major entities, including the State Bank of India (SBI), NSE, and BSE, reported no impact. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed that the IT ministry is in touch with Microsoft, and the NIC network remains unaffected. In a post on X, Vaishnaw said that the reason for the outage had been identified, and updates have been released to resolve the issue.
CrowdStrike’s Role CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz emphasized that the outage was not a result of a security incident or cyberattack. He stated, “The issue has been identified, isolated, and a fix has been deployed. We refer customers to the support portal for the latest updates and will continue to provide complete and continuous updates on our website.”
Kurtz added that the company is working closely with affected customers to ensure their systems are brought back online safely. “Our team is fully mobilized to ensure the security and stability of CrowdStrike customers,” he said.
Impact and Reactions The global outage has significantly impacted various sectors. Indigo canceled 40 flights from Delhi Airport, and services of AirAsia, Cebu Pacific Air, and Singapore Airlines were disrupted. Several users reported issues on Downdetector, and many took to X (formerly Twitter) to express their frustration over the BSOD error messages.
Despite the challenges, companies like Wipro reported that their systems were unaffected and are assisting clients facing issues. Wipro CEO Srinivas Pallia stated, “Our own systems were not affected, and we are assisting clients in the US and Europe who are facing challenges.”
Civil Aviation Minister’s Statement Civil Aviation Minister RamMohan Naidu Kinjarapu urged airport authorities and airlines to be compassionate and provide extra seating, water, and food for affected passengers. He emphasized that the global outage has caused unexpected delays and requested passengers to cooperate with airport staff.
Passenger Disruptions Passengers experienced long queues at airports due to manual check-in and boarding processes. Air India issued an advisory on X, informing customers that airport travel systems worldwide had been impacted and advised checking flight statuses before heading to the airport.
