Numerous major airlines, banks, and supermarkets are currently facing significant disruptions due to an IT outage that has been linked to an update issued by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike. CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz has stated that the outage was not the result of a cyberattack or security incident and that a fix has been deployed after the issue was identified and isolated. However, James Bore, a cybersecurity expert, has noted that manual reboots may be required for affected systems, which could lead to extended recovery times, especially for organizations with a large number of PCs.
Feng Li, an associate dean at Bayes Business School, has highlighted that businesses may be taking extra precautions during the recovery process to ensure no lingering issues remain. This could involve careful checks and manual interventions, particularly as businesses may operate on both physical PCs running Windows and cloud environments through services like Azure Virtual Desktop. Li also mentioned that the differing configurations between individual systems and endpoints could require tailored approaches to restoration.
The complexity of the outage and the need for tailored solutions could potentially prolong the recovery process for affected businesses. Additionally, the dual usage of traditional and cloud environments could lead to further delays as fixes may need to be applied differently in each setting. It is also possible that companies are implementing extra security measures to prevent any exposure to vulnerabilities during the reboot process.
Both Microsoft and CrowdStrike have yet to provide further details or comments on the situation. The extent and impact of this IT outage on businesses and consumers alike remain to be seen as organizations work towards resolving the disruptions caused by the issue.