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Windows PCs around the world were stuck on the "blue screen of death" Friday morning after cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike pushed a faulty update that sent machines into an endless loop. Microsoft 365 services and Azure cloud services also saw outages.
This incident doesn't impact everyday users' home computers, but countless businesses use CrowdStrike, which could present challenges as you try to access government services, receive package deliveries, travel by plane, or go to the doctor's office. Here's a look at how this disaster shut down services around the world.
2,700+ Flights Cancelled Worldwide
Thousands of flights were cancelled due to inoperable computers. By 11 a.m. ET Friday, over 2,700 flights around the world had been cancelled, according to FlightAware data. Thousands more were delayed; CNN puts the number at over 4,400.
Atlanta-based Delta Airlines initially paused all flights and then cancelled over 540, giving its home base Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport the top spot for most flight cancellations in the US so far. American Airlines saw some delays early Friday morning, as did Frontier Airlines, United Airlines, Allegiant Air, and Sun Country Airlines. Dallas Fort Worth airport warns travelers to expect "significant delays and cancellations" today, and Chicago O'Hare told flyers to allot themselves lots of extra time if their flights are confirmed.
New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport tells travelers not to come to the airport without checking their flight status. Charlotte Douglas Airport in North Carolina shared a similar warning.
In Australia, Jetstar cancelled all of its flights leaving Brisbane's airport Friday, BBC reports. Airlines that didn't directly see their computers go down have also been facing the ripple effect of delayed and cancelled flights from those who did, the outlet noted at London, England's Gatwick Airport. Edinburgh's airport in Scotland also saw long lines. Turkish Airlines has also cancelled over 80 flights. Flights have also been cancelled in Germany, India, Italy, and Canada.
FlightAware data shows that over 29,000 flights have been delayed globally as of Friday at 12:00 p.m. ET, but not all of these delays may be due to the IT outage.
US Border Checkpoints Processed Manually
Miami's international airport says the outage hit computer systems used by US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), forcing officers to conduct manual processing. The CBP One app is also down Friday because of the outage, Newsweek reports.
US international arrivals by air and land vehicle are seeing delays, with CBC noting that vehicle border crossings at the US-Canadian border in Ontario saw long lines due to the lack of working computer systems.
FedEx, UPS Packages Delayed
Both FedEx and UPS have confirmed that their services are impacted by the global IT outage. FedEx says it has "activated contingency plans" to try to reduce the impact of the outage on customer deliveries, but acknowledges that some deliveries initially expected to be delivered today may be delayed as a result.
UPS says its computer systems are also impacted by the Windows CrowdStrike incident, primarily affecting UPS operations in the US and Europe. The company says its airline is still operating, however, and drivers are still making deliveries. But delays are likely.
US Social Security Offices Close
All US Social Security offices are closed Friday due to the CrowdStrike outage. The government agency's physical locations are closed, and is redirecting those in need of its services to call the phone number listed on its official website. Long phone wait times are possible, however.
State Motor Vehicle Departments Shut Down
Drivers' services in Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina have all been impacted by the IT outage. Departments in Georgia and North Carolina are not able to help customers Friday, and Tennessee's Driver Services Centers are having issues processing payments, CNN reports.
Some 911 systems Face Outages
Some US regions reported outages and problems with their 911 emergency response systems Friday because of the CrowdStrike Windows incident. While there's never a good time to have an emergency, it may be especially challenging in some cities.
911 call centers in Alaska and New Hampshire saw service outages on Friday morning, but both have since reported normal operations. The police department in Phoenix, Arizona, also reported a brief 911 service outage but has also since resolved the issue.
Hospitals, Doctors Unable to Operate Normally
In Northern Ireland, a majority of doctors' offices were impacted by the outage and were unable to access medical records or view test results, BBC reports. In the US, hospitals in New York, Georgia, Texas, Oregon, Massachusetts, Kentucky, and New Hampshire were also affected by the outage, resulting in cancelled surgeries and appointments. In Canada, British Columbia's healthcare system was disrupted as well as some hospitals in Ontario.
Delays for Washington, D.C. Train System
Washington, D.C.'s Metro Rail saw some delays early Friday, as well as some of its digital signage go dark due to the CrowdStrike issue. Train services were not suspended, however, and the transit system remains operational.
Worker Paychecks Could Be Delayed
One US payroll firm Wagepoint reports that its employee deposits system has been affected by the outage, resulting in delayed paychecks.
Some Payment Systems Are Down
In London, taxi drivers have been unable to get paid for their work as their credit card payment systems were down because of the outage, BBC reports. Mastercard and Visa's systems are reportedly operational, but some of the computers in the payment processing chain are causing issues with transactions.