A global computer glitch triggered by a software update caused widespread global outages late Thursday into Friday morning. The disruption was caused by a defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts, according to a statement from CrowdStrike, the cybersecurity firm that distributed the update.
The vulnerability has since been isolated, and a fix has been deployed, the statement added.
“CrowdStrike is actively working with customers impacted by a defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts Mac and Linux hosts are not impacted. This is not a security incident or cyberattack. The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed,” wrote George Kurtz, CEO of CrowdStrike, in a statement.
The outage caused major disruptions to flights, airports, banks, media outlets, and companies around the world.
Microsoft, which hosts cloud services with businesses and governments, said it was grappling with service outages.
Microsoft issued a statement saying the problem was being investigated while cautioning that users “may be unable to access various Microsoft 365 apps and services.”
On a more localized level, Northeast Georgia Medical Center has only seen some minor disruptions.
“Northeast Georgia Health System is seeing some minor disruptions to third-party applications and agencies, but today, our critical systems are running without disruption,” Chief Technology Officer for Northeast Georgia Health Systems (NGHS) Stuart Samples said.
He said that all locations within the Northeast Georgia Health Systems network are providing care as normal.
Due to the global glitch, Samples expects NGHS hospitals to see an increase in emergency care. “Because other hospitals in the area are affected, we may see more patients than normal in our Emergency Departments – but we do not want anyone to delay their care.”
