Major global IT outage grounds planes, disrupts connections

Airports and other key infrastructure sites around the world have reported disruptions amid problems with communications

Disruption to air traffic control systems is being reported around the world. Preliminary reports say a computer glitch may be causing the problem. Issues have arisen in the US, Spain, Germany, Australia, and elsewhere, with authorities forced to cancel takeoffs and landings due to safety concerns.

The failure may have been caused by a software update that locks Microsoft operating systems and is reportedly not restricted to airlines. Some banks, emergency services, broadcasters, and financial institutions are also said to have been affected.

Computers using Windows 10 OS are reportedly crashing and showing “the blue screen of death” (BSOD) after an update for a security product provided by the firm CrowdStrike. The company is reportedly working on resolving the issue.

Brody Nisbet, CrowdStrike’s chief threat hunter, has offered a workaround to deal with what he called a “faulty channel file” related to the Falcon Sensor cybersecurity app.

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