A widespread technology outage caused by a faulty update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike has led to disruptions in transport, businesses, and government systems. Microsoft estimates that 8.5 million Windows devices were affected by the update. In Austria, a doctors’ organization highlighted the vulnerability of health systems relying on digital systems. Germany warned of cybercriminals taking advantage of the situation with scams.
European airports, like Heathrow and Berlin, are gradually returning to normal operations. The Schleswig-Holstein University Hospital in Germany is restoring its systems after canceling surgeries due to the IT outage. British travel and transport industries are facing cancellations and delays, particularly affecting passengers at the start of summer holidays.
Delta Air Lines and its affiliates, United, and American Airlines have canceled hundreds of flights. Eurowings, a subsidiary of Lufthansa, expects to resume largely scheduled operations. Portland, Oregon declared an emergency as more than half of its computer systems were affected. Border crossings into the US from Mexico and Canada experienced delays due to the outage.
Overall, the situation is slowly improving, but it will take time for services like aviation to return to normal. Governments, businesses, and individuals are urged to be vigilant against cyber scams and phishing attempts as the aftermath of the technology outage continues to impact various sectors.
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