A faulty software update on July 19 which triggered a major global technology outage, is a “stark reminder of the vulnerability of an interconnected digital world,” a security expert said.
Matthew Hardman, chief technology officer, APAC, Hitachi Vantara, further said while the cause was not a cyberattack, this is a stark reminder of the vulnerability of our interconnected digital world, and shows that organizations are not necessarily ready for an outage on core business processes.”
Hitachi Vantara is the data arm of global conglomerate Hitachi Ltd.
“This highlights the importance of data protection and cyber resiliency to ensure quick recovery and business continuity,” the executive said.
Hardman further said implementing a robust infrastructure with data immutability, consistent deployment processes, and resilience against unexpected failures is crucial.
“In addition, partnering with a hybrid cloud infrastructure company such as Hitachi Vantara can significantly aid in building a comprehensive data resiliency strategy,” Hardman said.
“Disruptions can erode public trust, and organizations must prioritize a swift return to normalcy. But this event shouldn’t just be a recovery effort – it’s a catalyst for positive change. Now is the time to ensure your systems are prepared for the unexpected.”
Businesses worldwide grappled with a major technology IT outage Friday, affecting financial services, healthcare, and broadcasters.
Air travel affected; airplanes grounded
Air travel has been hit particularly hard, with planes grounded, services delayed and airports issuing advice to passengers.
In the Philippines, major airlines were forced to cancel 17 international and 31 domestic flights scheduled on Saturday due to the service blackout.
The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) announced that Cebu Pacific (CEB) international flights to and from Incheon, Denpasar, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh, Taipei, Shanghai, Jakarta, and Hanoi, as well as domestic flights to and from Cebu, Puerto Princesa, Tacloban, Cagayan de Oro, Laoag, Iloilo, Butuan, Dipolog, Davao, and Caticlan
CEB’s sister airline CebGo flights to and from Cebu and Legazpi, authorities said.
AirAsia Philippines’ six local flights to and from Cebu, Iloilo, and Caticlan, along with United Airlines flight UA-190 from Manila to San Francisco
Other major airlines, including Etihad, JejuAir, Jetstar Asia, Jetstar Japan, Scoot, and Hongkong Express, have also been affected.
Cebu Pacific and AirAsia have since issued statements acknowledging the technical issues and are working to restore full functionality to their systems.
Passengers were also advised to prepare for potential long queues due to manual check-in processes, and to check their flight status with the respective airline before heading to the airport to avoid congestion at the terminal.
The global outage: What happened?
Reports said the outage came as cybersecurity company CrowdStrike experienced a major disruption early Friday following an issue with a recent tech update.
CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz has since said that the company is “actively working with customers impacted by a defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts,” stressing that Mac and Linux hosts are not affected.
“This is not a security incident or cyberattack. The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed,” he said on social media. One expert suggested it may be the “largest IT outage in history.” Separately, Microsoft cloud services were restored after an outage, the company said on Friday, even as many users continued to report issues, reports said.
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