Global IT outage disrupts banks, airlines, media outlets

Srinagar, July 19: BBC reported that a widespread IT outage has affected a multitude of global institutions, including major banks, media outlets, airlines, and emergency services. The incident has sparked chaos across various sectors, with significant disruptions reported in the US, UK, Australia, and several other countries.

Impacts in the United States and the United Kingdom

In the United States, the state of Alaska has reported that its emergency services have been affected, with numerous 911 and non-emergency call centres not working properly. Similarly, the London Stock Exchange has been impacted by the outage, causing significant disruptions in financial operations.

Australia Hit Hard

Australia has experienced particularly severe effects. Flights have been grounded at major airports, and supermarkets have faced checkout chaos. Broadcast networks have struggled on air as autocue, graphics, and computer systems failed. At Sydney Airport, information disappeared from departure boards, and budget carrier Jetstar announced it was unable to check in passengers or board its flights due to issues with Microsoft systems. Virgin Australia also reported a "complete ground stop" of flights. Additionally, social media users have reported long queues at stores like Woolworths, where payment systems were down, reported BBC.

Train Companies and Airports Affected

Train companies, particularly in the UK, have also been impacted. Govia Thameslink Railway, which operates Southern, Thameslink, Gatwick Express, and Great Northern brands, warned passengers to expect disruptions due to "widespread IT issues." The company reported difficulties in accessing driver diagrams and real-time customer information platforms, leading to potential short-notice cancellations.

Berlin airport and all airports in Spain have reported technical issues causing delays in check-ins. The Spanish airport operator assured that operations are continuing with manual systems while efforts to resolve the issue are underway.

Cause of the Outage

The cause of the outage remains unclear. Many of those affected have linked it to Microsoft PC operating systems. However, a Microsoft spokesperson stated that "the majority of services were recovered earlier" in the day. Australia's Home Affairs Ministry suggested that the outage might be related to a technical issue at global cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike. The country's cybersecurity watchdog stated there is no information to suggest it was an attack. They emphasized that the outage appears to be a technical issue with a third-party software platform used by affected companies.

Microsoft's Response

Microsoft reported that its outage began at about 18:00 ET (0000 BST) on Thursday and has taken "mitigation actions" to address service issues. The company is investigating problems with cloud services in the US and several of its apps and services.

Meanwhile investigations continue, affected institutions and companies are working to restore normal operations. The global IT outage highlights the interconnected nature of modern technological systems and the widespread impact that technical failures can have across multiple sectors and regions.