A widespread technology outage has caused chaos across the globe, affecting banks, media outlets, emergency services, and airlines, leading to grounded flights and operational disruptions. Millions of users of Microsoft Windows systems and devices have been impacted, with the outage reaching as far as the U.S., China, and Australia. Online gambling platforms, which rely on stable internet services and functional software to operate their betting and gaming services, were not spared the chaos.
Microsoft initially attributed the issue to problems with Microsoft 365 apps and services, prompting thousands of users to report problems to Downdetector.com, which tracks which sites may be facing tech issues. One of the sites identified by Downdetector this morning was Ladbrokes. Windows computers and tablets have crashed, with reports of forced restarts flooding social media.
The root cause of the outage appears to be an update from CrowdStrike. An error message related to CrowdStrike has been cited on affected devices, with a workaround involving the deletion of a CrowdStrike file. As a result, CrowdStrike has lost nearly one-fifth of its value in premarket trading, while Microsoft’s shares are down 2.4%. George Kurtz, CEO and co-founder of CrowdStrike released a statement on X.
Airlines have been particularly hard hit, with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines suspending most operations and Ryanair and others advising passengers to arrive three hours early due to the outage. In Australia, Sydney airport experienced issues with airline operations and terminal services, while Qantas and Virgin Australia reported delays and cancellations. Several European airports including London Gatwick and Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, are facing major disruptions, with thousands of travellers stranded. Among those stranded are delegates who are travelling following the iGB Live event which just came to a close in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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