Global IT Outage Hits Major Institutions, Linked to Microsoft PC Operating Systems
A widespread IT outage has crippled operations and impacted customers worldwide, with major global institutions including international airlines, banks, media outlets, and hospitals affected. The cause of the outage remains unclear, but many of those impacted have linked it to Microsoft PC operating systems.
The outage has caused significant disruptions, with some states in the US reporting emergency services affected, and several airlines grounding their flights around the world. Australia has been particularly hard hit, with broadcast networks scrambling to stay on air as systems failed, and supermarkets crippled.
Sky News, a major media outlet, was forced to go completely off the air due to the issues, with a slate apologizing for an “interruption to this broadcast.” Microsoft has confirmed that it is investigating an issue impacting users’ ability to access various Microsoft 365 apps and services, but a spokesperson told the BBC that “the majority of services were recovered” hours earlier.
Social media users have reported queues at Australian stores like Woolworths, with payment systems downed, and customers having trouble accessing financial institutions like the National Australia Bank. The full extent of the outage and its impact on affected institutions is still unclear, but it is expected to be a major story in the coming days.
As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen what caused the outage and what measures will be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.