A faulty update from cybersecurity provider CrowdStrike caused major software systems running on Microsoft operating systems to crash worldwide. This led to significant disruptions across various sectors, including airlines, banking, and telecommunications, from the USA to Germany, Switzerland, and India.

In the USA, airlines such as United, Delta, American, and Frontier halted flights due to communication issues. Berlin Airport in Germany suspended flights until 10:00 AM local time, while Zurich Airport canceled flights to Berlin. Train services in the UK were also affected.

In Australia, Commonwealth Bank and other financial institutions faced service disruptions, affecting money transfers and mobile banking applications. New Zealand’s parliament and banks also experienced internet and payment processing issues. Australia’s national broadcaster, ABC, had service interruptions. The disruption forced airline staff in India to issue handwritten flight tickets.

CrowdStrike acknowledged the issue, confirming multiple error reports of the “blue screen error” on Windows servers. The incident is considered one of the most significant service outages in the last decade, highlighting vulnerabilities in global cybersecurity and IT infrastructure.