At a glance.
- Faulty CrowdStrike update causes widespread Windows outages.
- Judge dismisses most of SEC's charges against SolarWinds.
- Russian nationals plead guilty to carrying out LockBit attacks.
Faulty CrowdStrike update causes widespread Windows outages.
A defective software update from CrowdStrike is causing major disruptions around the world, WIRED reports. Security researcher Kevin Beaumont says the CrowdStrike update contained an improperly formatted file that caused Windows systems to crash. The update involved CrowdStrike's Falcon Sensor product, which is part of their security suite. CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz emphasized, "This is not a security incident or cyberattack. The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed." CNN quotes cybersecurity expert Troy Hunt as saying "this will be the largest IT outage in history."
ABC News reports that the incident disrupted airlines, banks, hospitals, government entities, and countless businesses. American Airlines, United, Delta, and Allegiant Air grounded all flights this morning, with around 1,500 flights canceled so far. CNN says Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina and New York's JFK International Airport have both told passengers to stay home until they've confirmed their flight with the airline. The outage is also causing issues at Ryanair, Spirit, Sun Country Airlines, Frontier, Lufthansa, Virgin Australia, Qantas, and others.
Sky News says the outage has disrupted most GP practices in England, with thousands of surgeries affected "after the widely-used EMIS appointment and patient record system went down." NHS England stated, "The NHS has long-standing measures in place to manage the disruption, including using paper patient records and handwritten prescriptions, and the usual phone systems to contact your GP. There is currently no known impact on 999 or emergency services, so people should use these services as they usually would. Patients should attend appointments unless told otherwise."
The AP reports that Mass General Brigham in Boston has canceled all non-urgent visits today, though its emergency rooms remain open. The health system stated, "[W]e are not able to access our clinical systems, including patient health records and scheduling."