A global computer outage caused by software firm CrowdStrike has impacted a wide array of industries – including aspects of the global product supply chain.
CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity firm used by a huge array of airlines, banks, retailers, and more, caused a widespread outage across a huge range of key computer systems globally. NBC News, the Associated Press, and more all reported thousands of flights were canceled as a full ground stop was forced on multiple airlines.
CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz told NBC's Today show that the issue was caused by an update sent to customers using its software.
“The system was sent an update, and that update had a software bug in it and caused an issue with the Microsoft operating system,” Kurtz said.
CrowdStrike later fixed the software bug, but the nature of the problem has also forced some customers to manually fix each computer with the issue, a process that Omer Grossman, the chief information officer at identity security firm CyberArk, told Reuters could take days.
The problem is also hitting the global supply chain, NBC reported, and it could take days or even weeks to recover. Ports across the U.S. faced temporary delays as container terminals shut down – but most were operational by the morning.
However, air freight was hit hard as multiple global airlines including Delta, United Airlines, and American Airlines grounded their operations. Global shipping companies FedEx and UPS also reported outages affecting cargo flights.
"Planes and cargo are not where they are supposed to be, and it will take days or even weeks to fully resolve," Xeneta Chief Air Freight Officer Niall van de Wouw told CNBC.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a statement on the outage and said it is working closely with airlines to help them resume operations.
“Ground stops and delays will be intermittent at various airports as the airlines work through residual technology issues,” the FAA said.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg told CNBC that the government is monitoring the issue and that the issues could continue throughout the day.
Air Cargo News reported that the number of flights per hour had dropped 27 percent at 8 a.m. UTC – but that number decreased to just 2.2 percent by midday. However, 15 to 20 percent of all flights globally were being canceled.
Scan Global Logistics, a freight forwarding service, said the issue could cause bottlenecks and delays with its airline partners in the coming days, The Loadstar reported. AF-KLM Cargo told The Loadstar the impacts on its air freight operations were severe, as did Lufthansa Cargo.
Global cargo shipping company Maersk also reported it was affected by the global outage, but the company said it was back in operation within hours.
Retailer Ahold Delhaize, in a statement sent to SeafoodSource, said the company has remained unaffected by the outages.
“What we can say at this point is that our internal systems and stores are functioning properly,” the spokesperson said. “We are also investigating the potential effects on our suppliers. So far, there is no direct impact on Ahold Delhaize or its brands.”
