A widespread technological disruption affecting various sectors globally has been traced to a faulty software update from CrowdStrike, an Austin-based cybersecurity company. The glitch, which impacted Microsoft Windows systems, has caused significant disruptions to air travel, emergency services, and various businesses worldwide.
Major U.S. airlines, including American, Delta, and United, were forced to pause flight activities on Friday morning due to the software issue. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport also advised travelers to check the updated flight status before departing for the airport.
The impact extended beyond air travel, affecting driver’s license offices across Texas, which were closed due to technical issues. The Travis County Tax Office announced that they will not be attending to customers until around 1 p.m. on Friday. Additionally, 911 call centers in some states experienced disruptions, and hospital systems, including Baylor Scott & White Health, reported technical difficulties.
CrowdStrike acknowledged the problem in a statement, emphasizing that it was not a security incident or cyberattack. The company stated,
“CrowdStrike is actively working with customers impacted by a defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts. Mac and Linux hosts are not affected.”
The issue specifically relates to Falcon, one of CrowdStrike’s main software products designed to protect cloud-saved files. The company’s CEO, George Kurtz, announced on social media that engineers had identified and isolated the problem, deploying an update to address it.
Experts explain that CrowdStrike’s cybersecurity software, which is used by numerous Fortune 500 companies, requires deep-level access to computer operating systems. The faulty interaction between the software update and Windows systems may have led to the widespread computer crashes.