The UK’s busiest weekend saw thousands of flight cancellations due to the software upgrade, which caused a global IT outage.
Crowdstrike Update Affects Millions
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A botched Microsoft Windows software upgrade that affected the operating system came from the US cybersecurity company CrowdStrike.
“Screen of Death” Experienced Globally
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According to Reuters, many users faced the “blue screen of death,” which left them unable to start their computers.
8,5 Million Microsoft Windows Users Affected
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The CrowdStrike upgrade affected as many as 8.5 million Microsoft Windows devices, and its effects were felt heavily in the aviation and medical industries.
The Outage Was Not a Security or Cyber Threat
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CrowdStrike’s chief executive, George Kurtz, has expressed his sincerest apologies and reassured everyone that it was “not a security or cyber incident.”
No Hope for Recovery in Sight
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The IT outage caused problems for UK airports and airlines over the weekend, and the air traffic control restrictions and severe weather forecast in parts of Europe destroyed hopes of getting back on track and recovering.
Airlines to Cover Meals, Hotels and Rescheduled Flights
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All passengers who had disrupted flights to and from Europe on British or European airlines are entitled to be rebooked and have meals and hotels paid for by the cancelled airlines.
9000 Flights Cancelled Worldwide
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According to the aviation analyst Cirium, over 9000 flights worldwide have been cancelled thus far, with 75,000 passengers grounded within two days in the UK alone.
Tui Hit Harder Than the Rest
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The travel and tourism company Tui was hit harder than most UK airlines because the software malfunction directly affected their crewing system.
64 Tui Flights Cancelled
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Tui had to cancel 64 flights to regain some manageability, which will cost the company millions and tarnish its reputation.
Tui Trying to Soften the Blow
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Tui is Europe’s largest travel firm and has done its best to accommodate its customers during this time. It offers full refunds, vouchers for future travel, and options to switch to still-accessible holidays for its affected customers.
Tui Apologises for the Inconvenience
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A spokesperson for Tui said, “Due to the global IT issue at airports and airlines around the world, TUI’s overall service level was heavily impacted, and we would like to apologise to everyone affected.”
“Imposter Accounts” on the Loose
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CrowdStrike has warned people to be alert and aware of scammers who have used this outage as an opportunity to create “imposter accounts” to defraud travellers.
Hacker Fixes Calim to Be Crowdstrike
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Hackers are bound to take advantage of this situation, and people are warned not to fall for software fixes claiming to be CrowdStrike.
Travellers Warned of Delays
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Figures from the aviation analytics firm Cirium show that 408 flights to and from the UK were cancelled on Friday, and travellers were warned that recovery could take weeks.
Transport Secretary Informs That No Apparent Security Breach
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Transport secretary Louise Haigh said that IT systems at airports were “back and working normally” and that there seemed to be “no known safety or security issues arising from the outage.”
Travellers Advised to Check Ahead of Time
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Even though most systems are back online, travellers should check with providers ahead of time whether their scheduled flights are still on track, as delays and cancellations are still happening due to the backlog.
10 Worst Places to Live in the UK Today
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Here’s a look at the 10 worst places to live in the UK, based on statistical analysis and local sentiment, to help you understand the challenges residents may face in these areas. 10 Worst Places to Live in the UK Today
“We Will Never Come to Help You” – Trump’s Hurtful Words Raise Concerns About EU Firepower
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It was revealed in a conference in Brussels that former President Donald Trump said in 2020 that the US would “never help” Europe if it was attacked. Now, European nations are grouping to commit more firepower to combat Putin’s threat to democracy. “We Will Never Come to Help You” – Trump’s Hurtful Words Raise Concerns About EU Firepower
Brexit Fallout: 20 Ways the EU Is Falling Apart Without the UK
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Since Brexit, the EU has been grappling with multiple crises and internal conflicts. Can the bloc hold itself together in these turbulent times? Brexit Fallout: 20 Ways the EU Is Falling Apart Without the UK
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Kollawat Somsri.