Breaking news on how global tech outage is affecting different sectors – NBC Chicago

“Microsoft’s worldwide outage affects airlines, banks, more: Chaos, services halt”

A major global outage of Microsoft services early Friday morning sent shockwaves through multiple industries, disrupting flights, banking systems, hospitals and more. Airlines in the United States, Europe, Australia and India reported problems, and major carriers like United, American, Delta and Allegiant grounded flights.

In Chicago, the outage hit O’Hare International Airport and Midway Airport hard, leading to delays and cancellations. Delta Airlines said it was halting all flights, while American Airlines acknowledged a technology issue affecting multiple carriers. United Airlines said the outage affected computer systems worldwide, leading to grounded flights and other delays.

In addition to the airline industry, emergency services were also affected in Illinois, although 911 emergency services remained operational. Railroads and transit systems around the world experienced disruptions, and Chicago’s Metra and CTA also faced challenges. The University of Chicago Medical Center and other hospitals reported problems with their computer systems but said there was minimal impact on patient care.

Additionally, the power outage impacted state government operations, as the Illinois DMV and Indiana BMV were unable to process transactions. The Illinois government urged patience as they worked to quickly restore service.

The global nature of the outage was evident as airlines, railways and television stations in the UK, Australia, Germany and elsewhere faced similar disruptions. Passengers were stranded, queues at airports grew and some news agencies were unable to broadcast because of the outages. Major banks, supermarkets and shops also reported problems processing payments.

While Microsoft said most services had been restored, some customers were still experiencing issues. CrowdStrike, the cybersecurity firm at the center of the incident, confirmed that the outage was caused by a Windows update flaw and assured that it was not a security incident or cyberattack.

The chaos and confusion caused by the Microsoft outage underscored the reliance of modern society on technology and the critical need for robust backup systems and cybersecurity measures. As companies and agencies work to recover from the outage, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the potential vulnerabilities of interconnected global systems.