IT-companies fix errors but the issues remain
After the IT crash in large parts of the world, companies Crowdstrike and Microsoft release updates. However, the problems for the customers were not immediately resolved.
A faulty software update caused widespread disruptions worldwide. Flights were canceled, hospitals postponed surgeries, broadcasters had difficulties. Some bank customers could not get money from ATMs, supermarkets had to temporarily close. The software error was fixed after several hours. However, the consequences were longer-lasting.
"According to the latest knowledge from the statements of the affected companies, there are no indications of a cyber-attack," said a spokesperson of the Federal Interior Ministry. The cause was apparently a faulty update of an IT security system named "Falcon Sensor" from the manufacturer Crowdstrike. The IT security company from Texas confirmed the error.
The failure caused problems in numerous countries. In Germany, Berlin Airport had to partially shut down operations, several airlines reported restrictions. The Dutch KLM airline experienced near-complete shutdown of its flights. Problems occurred at many airports, such as Munich, Hamburg, Cologne and Stuttgart, internationally at Mallorca and Warsaw.
The supermarket chain Tegut temporarily closed its 340 markets nationwide. With cards from individual providers, there were issues at ATMs according to bank statements, in some pharmacies patients had problems with electronic prescriptions.
Critical Infrastructure Affected
The University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein canceled all planned operations in Kiel and Lübeck for Friday, similar reports came from the Netherlands. Computer problems also affected city and county administrations, such as in Schleswig-Holstein, North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg. In Munich, residents were unable to register cars for a time.
According to the Federal Interior Ministry, operators of critical infrastructure were also affected. Critical infrastructure includes, among others, energy suppliers, transport and traffic, the public administration, hospitals, water, sewage and telecommunications.
Allianz, Siemens, BMW and Mercedes-Benz confirmed disruptions upon request. The Bundeswehr was not affected according to government statements.
IT Companies: No Cyber-Attack
Crowdstrike stated that it was not a cyber-attack and also no security incident. The software error was in an update for Windows computers according to Crowdstrike's statements. Microsoft reported problems with its cloud service 365. The software giant also published a guide on how to reset Windows cloud PCs to their state before the faulty update.
Crowdstrike stated at noon that the problem had been identified and fixed. The IT security company referred its customers to a new update. However, there were still problems: Eurowings canceled over 50 flights in Germany and between Germany and Great Britain in the afternoon to relieve their IT systems.
Furthermore, there was a configuration error in the Microsoft solution Azure, which also caused global effects, according to the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI). Whether and how the incidents are related is not yet clear.
Until the problems are completely resolved, according to BSI President Claudia Plattner, there may still be some time passing. "In the worst case, each affected computer must be handled individually," she said. She added, in the aftermath of the crisis, we need to talk about how the quality assurance at Crowdstrike and Microsoft looks.
Vulnerability due to concentration in the software industry
The shockwaves of the software glitch were felt worldwide: The Australian government convened an emergency meeting. Sky News broadcast a static image. According to CNN, hospitals in Israel were affected, and many businesses in New Zealand. Credit card payments no longer worked, and according to a report in the "New Zealand Herald," it was "cash only" in many places. The FAA in the US grounded flights from airlines like United, American, and Delta. The European budget airline Ryanair also reported problems.
With the concentration in the software industry, it happens regularly that numerous companies are affected by problems of individual providers. For example, a cyberattack on the American IT services provider Kaseya in 2021 was felt as far as Sweden, where the supermarket chain Coop had to close almost all its stores.
The economic impact of the software glitch was significant, with internet companies like Google and Amazon reporting slowed services due to increased internet usage as people turned to online platforms for information and solutions during the disruptions. Additionally, some airport terminals, such as London Heathrow and Paris Charles de Gaulle, experienced temporary closures or delays due to reliance on IT systems for operational processes.
