A major technical malfunction in Microsoft’s servers on Friday led to widespread disruptions across various sectors globally, causing significant issues in aviation, banking, and media industries.
The glitch, which began early Friday, caused many Windows users worldwide to experience the dreaded “Blue Screen of Death” (BSOD) error on their computers. Microsoft in a message said that the error is being caused due to a recent CrowdStrike update. This widespread issue had far-reaching consequences, affecting airports, television news stations, and financial institutions.
In the aviation sector, the technical problems with Microsoft’s cloud services severely impacted flights worldwide, including in India. Frontier Airlines was the first to report issues, followed by various airlines globally encountering problems with web check-in. IndiGo, one of India’s largest carriers, reported system-wide impacts resulting in increased waiting times at contact centers and airports. Akasa Airlines and SpiceJet also reported technical difficulties, with some online services temporarily unavailable at major airports. Microsoft in a message said that the error is being caused due to a recent CrowdStrike update.
Cloudstrike
CrowdSrike is a cybersecurity platform that provides security solutions to users and businesses. Using a single sensor and unified threat interface with attack correlation across endpoints, workloads, and identity, Falcon Identity Threat Protection stops identity-driven breaches in real time.
It has been reported that the buggy update is caused by CrowdStrike’s Falcon Sensor to malfunction and conflict with the Windows system.
Microsoft Glitch
The banking sector was not spared, with operations halted in many countries due to the server issues. In the media world, the UK’s Sky News was forced off-air due to the technical glitch.
Microsoft Azure, the cloud computing platform at the center of the disruption, is widely used by individuals, companies, and governments for managing and developing applications. Microsoft acknowledged the issue, stating they were investigating problems affecting users’ access to various Microsoft 365 apps and services. The tech giant reported efforts to redirect affected traffic to alternative systems to mitigate the impact and assured that work to fix the servers was ongoing.
As the situation continues to unfold, passengers are advised to contact their respective airlines for up-to-date flight information. Microsoft has promised to provide regular updates as they work to resolve this major technical crisis that has highlighted the vulnerabilities in our increasingly interconnected digital world.