Perhaps you were trying to check into your flight. Excited about your upcoming international escape. Maybe you were simply trying to process payment for your groceries at the supermarket. Before realising there was something seriously wrong. Many of you were trying to log into Microsoft teams, before encountering the Blue Screen of Death (above). Regardless of your activities, yesterday afternoon a major global IT outage caused widespread disruption across essential services and platforms worldwide. Here’s a recap.
What happened?
The global IT outage was triggered by a technical issue that stemmed from a software update deployed by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike. This update inadvertently caused disruptions in Microsoft’s Azure cloud infrastructure, specifically impacting its DNS services. As a result, various critical services hosted on Azure, including Microsoft 365 and Teams, experienced down time, affecting users’ ability to access emails, collaborate online, and perform other essential tasks.
The incident highlighted the interconnected nature of digital services. As well as the critical dependency of businesses and organisations on cloud infrastructure providers. The disruptions affected Australians. However, similar disruptions were reported across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Underscoring the global reach and implications of the technical glitch.
Who was affected?
The impact of the outage was felt globally across different sectors.
Airlines were forced to ground flights or resort to manual check-in processes due to the inability to access flight manifests electronically, leading to widespread delays and disruptions in travel plans. Banks and financial institutions faced challenges in processing transactions, while media outlets encountered difficulties in publishing content online. Supermarkets reported disruptions in their operations, affecting customer service and transaction processing.
In addition to businesses and commercial entities, individual users also experienced difficulties accessing popular online platforms and services. Social media networks, e-commerce websites, and entertainment streaming services were among those affected. Disrupting daily routines and online interactions for millions of users worldwide.
According to reports from Reuters, the outage not only affected Microsoft and CrowdStrike’s operations but also impacted other sectors such as telecommunications and healthcare. Telecommunication providers experienced disruptions in network services, affecting voice and data communications for both businesses and individual consumers. Healthcare institutions faced challenges in accessing electronic health records and communication systems, potentially impacting patient care and operational efficiency.
When will it be resolved?
Efforts to resolve the outage have been underway, with teams from CrowdStrike and Microsoft collaborating to identify and rectify the root cause. CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz acknowledged the severity of the issue and emphasised the company’s commitment to restoring services promptly. Microsoft, for its part, has implemented measures to stabilise its Azure services and restore functionality to affected platforms.
As of the latest updates, significant progress has been made to restore services, although some residual disruptions may persist as comprehensive testing and validation procedures continue. Users and businesses are advised to stay informed through official communications from service providers regarding the restoration of services and any necessary actions to resume normal operations.
