computer repair - When Texas paralyzed the world
A faulty Software update caused widespread disruptions worldwide. Flights were canceled, hospitals postponed surgeries, broadcasting stations encountered issues. Some bank customers could not get cash from ATMs, supermarkets had to temporarily close. The issue was resolved by Friday, but the consequences lasted longer.
"According to the latest knowledge obtained from the affected companies, there are no indications of a cyber-attack," said a spokesperson for the German Federal Ministry. The cause appears to be a faulty update of the IT security system named "Falcon Sensor" by the manufacturer Crowdstrike. The IT security company from Texas confirmed the error.
Airports, grocers, banks, and pharmacies affected
The issue caused problems in numerous countries. In Germany, Berlin Airport had to partially shut down operations, several airlines reported restrictions. KLM's flight operations in the Netherlands came almost completely to a standstill. Problems occurred at many airports, such as Munich, Hamburg, Cologne, and Stuttgart, internationally at Mallorca and in Warsaw.
The grocery store chain Tegut temporarily closed its 340 branches nationwide. With cards from individual providers, there were disruptions at ATMs, and in some pharmacies, patients had problems filling electronic prescriptions.
Administrations affected
The University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein canceled all planned surgeries 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 could not register cars for a time.
According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, operators of critical infrastructure are 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.
Cause in software for Windows computers
Crowdstrike emphasized that it was neither a cyber-attack nor a security incident. The software error was in an update of the software for Windows computers, according to the company's statements. Microsoft, the Windows manufacturer, reported problems with its Cloud Service 365. The software giant also published instructions on how to restore Windows Cloud PCs to their state before the faulty update.
Crowdstrike stated in the afternoon that the problem had been identified and fixed. The IT security company referred its customers to a new update. However, there were still issues: Eurowings canceled over 50 flights in Germany and between and to Great Britain on Friday to relieve their IT systems.
IT systems internationally affected
According to the BSI's representation, it may still take some time for the problems to be completely resolved. "In the worst case, each affected computer must be worked on individually," said Amtspräsidentin Claudia Plattner. She added that in the aftermath of the crisis, it would be necessary to discuss the quality assurance at Crowdstrike and Microsoft.
The shockwaves of the software glitch were felt worldwide: The Australian government convened an emergency meeting. Sky News in Australia displayed a static image temporarily. According to CNN, hospitals in Israel were affected, and numerous 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 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the USA halted flights for airlines such as United, American, and Delta. European budget airline Ryanair also reported issues.
In the software industry, it is not uncommon for numerous companies to be affected by issues with individual providers. For example, a cyberattack on the American IT services company Kaseya in 2021 was felt as far as Sweden, where the Coop supermarket chain had to close almost all its stores.
The software update issue was also reported in the United States, affecting the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), leading to halted flights for airlines such as United, American, and Delta. In Tel Aviv, Israel, hospitals experienced complications due to the faulty update.
To address the issue in New Zealand, businesses temporarily resorted to cash-only transactions as credit card payments ceased to function, according to a report in the "New Zealand Herald".
