Global IT Outage Causes Chaos for Banks, Airlines, and Media Outlets
A widespread IT outage has wreaked havoc on global institutions, including major banks, media outlets, and airlines, leaving emergency services in the US state of Alaska and broadcast networks in Australia scrambling to cope.
The outage, which has been particularly severe in Australia, has seen systems fail and supermarkets crippled, with Sky News UK even going completely off air as a result of the issues. Several US airlines have grounded their flights around the globe, while Australian carriers Virgin Australia and Jetstar have had to delay or cancel flights.
The cause of the outage remains unclear, but many affected have pointed fingers at Microsoft PC operating systems. An official Microsoft 365 service update acknowledged the issue, stating that they were investigating an issue impacting users’ ability to access various Microsoft 365 apps and services. However, a Microsoft spokesperson later confirmed that the majority of services had been recovered.
Australia’s Home Affairs Minister’s spokesperson suggested that the outage may be related to a problem at global cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike, but the country’s cybersecurity watchdog has stated that there is no evidence to suggest it was an attack.
In Alaska, officials have reported that many 911 and non-emergency call centers are not functioning properly, adding to the chaos caused by the outage. Meanwhile, Australian telecom firm Telstra has reassured the public that triple-0 call centers, the main emergency contact in the country, are not affected, and they are working with state emergency services providers to implement backup processes.
Social media users have reported long queues at Australian stores like Woolworths, with payment systems down and difficulties accessing financial institutions like the National Australia Bank. The situation is ongoing, with institutions working to restore services and minimize the impact of the outage on their operations.
