Microsoft’s ‘Blue Screen of Death’ affects banks, airlines globally

Microsoft’s global tech trouble, reportedly caused by CrowdStrike’s software update, has heavily affected several industries dependent on Windows systems, including banking, airlines, media, and shipping sectors.

Sharing timely updates on the global social media platform X.com, Microsoft addressed the issue, stating, “We're investigating an issue impacting users' ability to access various Microsoft 365 apps and services. More info is posted in the admin centre under MO821132.”

“We're aware of an issue affecting Windows devices due to an update from a third-party software platform. We anticipate a resolution is forthcoming,” a Microsoft spokesperson added.

CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity firm that safeguards the world’s biggest companies and hardware from cyber threats and vulnerabilities, confirmed that its software update triggered worldwide Microsoft IT outages. They stated, “CrowdStrike is actively working with customers impacted by a defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts. Mac and Linux hosts are not impacted. This is not a security incident or cyberattack. The issue has been identified, isolated, and a fix has been deployed. We refer customers to the support portal for the latest updates and will continue to provide complete and continuous updates on our website. We further recommend organisations ensure they’re communicating with CrowdStrike representatives through official channels. Our team is fully mobilised to ensure the security and stability of CrowdStrike customers.”

In the UAE, the Dubai International Airport, Emirates Airways, and Etihad Airways have confirmed that operations are back to normal. However, they warned passengers of possible minor delays later in the day.

A spokesperson for Emirates said, “We are aware of the global IT disruption and are monitoring the situation closely. At this time, there has been no impact on Emirates’ flight operations. There could be delays to some flight timings later today due to potential knock-on effects from earlier delays at some airports around our network.” Etihad Airways stated that they are now operating normally following the global IT issue that impacted organisations worldwide. However, there may be some limited delays to services across its network as a result of the global disruption. Etihad regrets any inconvenience caused, and the safety of our guests and crew is our number one priority.”

Dubai International Airport posted on X.com, “We’re now back to operating normally following a global system outage that affected the check-in process for some airlines in Terminals 1 and 2 this morning. The affected airlines promptly switched to an alternate system, allowing normal check-in operations to resume swiftly.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) of the UAE also posted, “Please be informed of a global technical issue that has affected some of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ electronic systems, including MoFA’s attestation service. We advise users to refrain from conducting any transactions until this issue is resolved.”

The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority in Dubai issued a public notice stating, “We inform you that there is a technical defect in the CrowdStrike software update that may affect the electronic systems of the institutions that use it.”

The UAE Cybersecurity Council has confirmed that there are no signs of cyber attacks or breaches following the global technical outage caused by CrowdStrike software, which impacted electronic systems in various key sectors worldwide.

The Council advised people to be cautious to prevent cyber criminals from exploiting the technical glitch, stating, "The Cyber Security Council confirms that there are currently no indications of cyber intrusions or attacks resulting from the global technical issue in updating CrowdStrike software. The Cyber Security Council recommends exercising caution to avoid falling victim to hackers who may exploit this technical issue for cyber attacks."

Initially, Downdetector, a services monitoring website, reported sudden increases in problems with various websites, including Microsoft applications, banking sites, and airline apps. Users in Australia, New Zealand, India, and the UK reported significant tech outages on Friday morning. While the recovery is in progress, here’s the global coverage on Microsoft’s Windows outage.