Following the widespread disruptions caused by a faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, the world is now focused on recovery efforts and combating malicious actors seeking to exploit the situation. Government cybersecurity agencies and CrowdStrike CEO have issued warnings about phishing schemes where bad actors pose as tech specialists offering assistance to those affected by the outage.
The UK Cyber Security Center has reported an increase in phishing attempts related to this event. Microsoft revealed that approximately 8.5 million Windows devices were impacted by the faulty update, representing less than 1% of all Windows-based machines.
Impact on Air Travel
Global air travel has been significantly disrupted, with over 1,500 flights canceled by late morning on the U.S. East Coast. This is a decrease from the 5,100 cancellations on the previous day. U.S. carriers experienced the highest proportion of cancellations, with about 3.5% of scheduled flights affected.
Other major air-travel markets like the UK, France, and Brazil reported lower cancellation rates. The reasons behind the disproportionate cancellations in the U.S. are still unclear but may be linked to technology outsourcing and reliance on Microsoft operating systems.
Impact on Healthcare Systems
Healthcare systems faced clinic closures, canceled surgeries, and restricted access to patient records due to the outage. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles reported progress in restoring servers and thanked patients for their understanding.
In Austria, the outage highlighted the need for analog backups in hospitals to ensure patient care during digital system failures. The Austrian Chamber of Doctors emphasized the importance of high standards in patient data protection and crisis management.
In Germany, the Schleswig-Holstein University Hospital is gradually restoring systems and plans to resume elective surgeries by Monday after canceling all procedures on Friday.
