Following a global IT outage, flight delays and cancellations are likely to continue into the weekend. Experts warned that it could take weeks for systems to be fully restored.
A faulty update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike disrupted many internet connections around the world on Friday, leading to flight and train cancellations and the paralysis of some healthcare systems.
A fix was deployed on Friday afternoon for a bug in the update that affected Microsoft Windows PCs, but the CEO of the company responsible for the outage warned that it would take “some time” for systems to be fully restored.
George Kurtz also apologized for the incident, expressed his “deep regret” and clarified that it was “not a security or cyber incident.”
In a technical statement, CrimeStrike said a “sensor configuration” had “triggered a logic error,” but the company said it had been fixed.
Airports across the UK – including London Gatwick, Heathrow Airport, Manchester Airport and Belfast International Airport – stressed that passengers should check with the airline about any delays or cancellations before travelling over the weekend.
A London Gatwick spokesman said: “Following previous global issues, our airport IT systems are now back to normal and we expect the majority of our flights to operate as normal tomorrow.
“However, there will continue to be some delays and cancellations this evening and over the weekend. We strongly advise passengers to check with their airline for the latest information.”
A Manchester Airport spokesman said: “Check-in and boarding are being carried out manually on the affected airlines and are taking longer than normal, resulting in some long queues at check-in.”
“Some flights may be affected by delays and flight schedules may be impacted by the impact of the global IT outage at airports around the world. This means that some flights may be cancelled by airlines at short notice.”
About 167 flights scheduled to depart from UK airports on Friday were cancelled, others were delayed, while 171 flights scheduled to land in the UK were cancelled due to the technical glitch.
Aviation analytics firm Cirium said 5,078 flights worldwide – or 4.6% of scheduled flights – were cancelled on Friday, including 167 departures from the UK.
Aside from travel, the National Pharmacy Association warned that disruptions to pharmacy operations are likely over the weekend, even when systems are back online, as pharmacies grapple with a backlog of medication deliveries.
Industry expert Adam Leon Smith of BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, warned that it could take “weeks” for all computers and systems to be fully restored.
“The fix needs to be applied to many computers around the world, so if computers get blue screens and infinite loops, it could be more difficult and take days and weeks,” he said.
Professor Ciaran Martin, founding chair of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), also said it was difficult to estimate how long recovery from the outage would take.
“The underlying issue has been resolved and fixes are being implemented,” he said.
The NHS is aware of a global IT outage and a problem with a GP appointment scheduling and patient records system.
If you have an appointment, please attend unless you are told otherwise. If you need help, call 111 online or by phone, or 999 in an emergency.
➡️https://t.co/M4QxHP2GqM
— NHS England (@NHSEngland) July 19, 2024
“Some industries can recover quickly. But others, like aviation, will have long backlogs. Still, I would be surprised if we were still facing serious problems this time next week.”
Experts warned users to remain “vigilant” against possible scams while systems are being restored.
In a letter to customers and partners, Mr Kurtz said: “We know that adversaries and malicious actors will try to exploit events like this.
“I encourage everyone to remain vigilant and ensure they are engaging with official CrowdStrike representatives.”
The NCSC pointed to an increase in phishing attempts related to the power outage.
On its website, the company urged organizations to take appropriate precautions and advised individuals to be alert to suspicious emails or messages.
“Note that an increase in phishing attempts related to this outage has already been observed as opportunistic malicious actors seek to exploit the situation,” the NCSC said.
CrowdStrike shares fell at the opening of U.S. markets on Friday as investors processed the impact of the outage.
Shares fell more than 8 percent in early trading, wiping out about $10 billion (£7.8 billion) in market value. The biggest financial markets in the US and UK fell during the trading session as other companies were also affected.
The faulty update brought critical infrastructure to a halt, computer systems went offline, and many devices displayed the so-called “Blue Screen of Death” because they were stuck in an endless cycle of reboot attempts, affecting key sectors across the country.
The power outage caused disruptions in “the majority of GP practices,” NHS England said. Emergency services also reported an increased load on the 999 and 111 emergency numbers from calls from patients who were unable to reach other NHS providers due to the IT problems.
Across England, GP practices reported being unable to book appointments or access patient records due to the failure of their EMIS web system.
In the UK, Sky News was briefly suspended from broadcasting on Friday morning and Britain’s largest rail company, Govia Thameslink Railway, warned passengers to expect disruption due to “widespread IT problems”.
Around the world, banks, supermarkets and other large institutions reported computer problems that disrupted their services. Many companies were unable to accept digital payments or access important databases.
Ann Johnson, Microsoft’s deputy chief information security officer, called the outage “a very big problem” and could not predict how long it would take for all customers to be back online.
