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Videos show long lines at airports after Crowdstrike tech issue
Travelers across the globe faced delays and cancellations as airlines were brought to a near halt.
Airports, banks, hospitals, public transport systems and businesses across the globe suffered disruptive technical issues Friday morning thanks to a major tech outage.
Cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike has taken responsibility for the issue, saying a recent software update impacted Microsoft’s Windows Operating System, causing it to crash and display the infamous “blue screen of death.”
CrowdStrike, a U.S. firm that says it is used by over half of Fortune 500 companies, assured that the incident was “not a security incident or cyberattack.” In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Crowdstrike CEO George Kurtz said the company is “actively working with customers impacted by a defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts.”
In the meantime, airlines around the world were forced to ground flights as passengers faced delays and cancellations. Banks and retailers sent customers notice that they were unable to process payments, healthcare providers and patients were left unable to access records and public transport systems were delayed.
Here’s a look at some of the scenes from around the globe.
Follow along for live updates: Global tech outage hits airlines, banks, healthcare and public transit
Microsoft announced all previously impacted Microsoft 365 apps and services have recovered, while the FAA is “closely monitoring a technical issue impacting IT systems at U.S. airlines” and several airlines “have requested FAA assistance with ground stops until the issue is resolved.” Follow here for live updates.
Contributing: Gabe Hauari and staff, USA TODAY
