Air travel, banking, media and hospital systems were just some of the industries affected by a bug in a software update that disrupted business operations at many companies around the world on Friday morning.
Many users who use Microsoft Windows may experience a “blue screen” or error page. The issue is caused by a bug in a software update from CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity company that provides antivirus software for Microsoft users.
The company released a software update overnight, and at 1:30 a.m. ET, CrowdStrike announced that its “Falcon Sensor” software was causing Microsoft Windows to crash, displaying a blue screen of death, Reuters reported.
CrowdStrike president and CEO George Kurtz said in a statement on X early Friday morning that the incident was not the result of a security concern or cyberattack, adding that the issue had been identified and the company was in the process of rolling out a fix.
“We encourage customers to consult our support portal for the latest updates, and we will continue to provide complete and ongoing updates on our website,” Kurtz said.
The bug has caused major delays and cancellations at airports around the world. Flight-tracking data site FlightAware recorded about 24,000 delays and 2,300 cancellations worldwide by 9:30 a.m. Friday. Some airlines have been able to get their digital systems up and running again, but others are trying to find analog solutions in the meantime.
The U.S. Department of Transportation said it is monitoring the situation and encouraged people who have experienced travel delays or cancellations to use the FlightRights.gov website to address their travel delays.
Some states, including Alaska, Virginia and New Jersey, were experiencing problems with 911 and non-emergency phone numbers.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy issued a statement early Friday saying the state had opened a state emergency operations center to respond to the unrest and had given instructions to other agencies on how to respond to the situation.
“We are also working with counties and local governments, 911 call centers and public utilities to assess the impact and provide assistance,” he said.
Microsoft published a troubleshooting guide for X early on Friday morning.
By 10 a.m. Friday, outages had begun to ease for some global companies, with companies including Visa, Zoom, UPS and Southwest Airlines resuming normal operations compared to the early morning hours, according to Downdetector, which tracks real-time outages.
“We’re very sorry for the impact that’s had on our customers, on travelers and on all of the people that have been affected,” Kurtz told the Today hosts this morning. He said some customers have successfully restarted and are getting back online, a trend that will likely continue throughout the day.
(This is an ongoing story)
