Banks, media companies and airlines have been facing issues worldwide today (July 19) due to a global IT outage which then ended up in entire organisations going offline and travel delays, with over 1,000 flights cancelled worldwide. While the outage is linked to Microsoft devices only, the reason for the outage has now been confirmed.
What caused the IT outage?
Reports have named Crowdstrike as the reason for the IT outage, which is a cybersecurity company that produces antivirus software. They have performed a recent system update which could have been bugged, resulting in Microsoft devices showing blue error screens.
Consequently, UK companies, government institutions and airports such as Sky News, CBBC, the NHS, Gatwick Airport, Luton Airport, Edinburgh Airport and more have been affected.
Moreover, supermarkets like Morrisons have also been having issues with card payments. It has also been reported that Sky News has since been able to go back on air.
George Kurtz, the CEO of Crowdstrike said: “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.”
How has Liverpool been affected by the global IT outage?
Apart from UK-wide businesses, plenty of local businesses around Liverpool are expected to have issues with card payments, so shoppers are advised to carry some cash with them today.
Liverpool John Lennon Airport is experiencing some check-in issues resorting to manual check-in procedures, yet the flights are still operating as normal.
In a post on X, Liverpool John Lennon Airport said: “A worldwide IT outage is affecting check-in at Liverpool John Lennon Airport and some airlines have reverted to a manual check-in process. Flights are still operating as usual and we are currently advising passengers to turn up to the airport as normal. Please check with your airline for any updates.”
Northern is also experiencing IT issues today, with trains still running. The company posted on X: ” We are currently experiencing widespread IT issues across our entire network, which is linked with the issues affecting many industries and businesses this morning.
Trains are still running however information systems may not be showing and we’re unable to provide disruption info in the same ways as usual. We’ll continue to add disruption to our X feed when known.”
Merseyrail is also experiencing the same issues, so passengers should allow extra time for travelling as delays are not displayed on the boards.