On July 19, 2024, cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike issued an apology to clients after a global tech outage was caused by a software update affecting Microsoft Windows systems. The outage impacted various industries, including airlines, government agencies, hospitals, and media outlets. CrowdStrike’s CEO assured that the issue was not a cyberattack and that a fix had been deployed. The incident disrupted health services in Canada, including British Columbia health authorities and Toronto’s University Health Network. Airline passengers faced cancellations and delays, with Porter Airlines and several U.S. carriers being particularly affected. The outage also led to delays at the Canada-U.S. border crossings. The Federal Aviation Administration in the U.S. reported that major airlines had been grounded, causing over 2,600 cancelled flights worldwide. International airports in countries like the UK, India, and Hong Kong experienced delays as well. CrowdStrike’s CEO appeared on NBC to apologize for the software failure and pledged to ensure full recovery for all customers. Microsoft announced that the underlying cause of the outage had been fixed, but residual impacts continued to affect some customers. The incident highlighted the vulnerability of critical industries to cyber threats in an increasingly digital world. Experts expressed concerns about the scale of the outage and the need for resilience in global internet infrastructure. FedEx and other companies experienced disruptions, while the CBC also faced issues with broadcasting processes. Overall, the incident underscored the importance of cybersecurity preparedness in the modern era.
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Photo credit www.cbc.ca
