Microsoft IT outage live: Travellers still stranded as experts warn problem is likely to happen again
It could take weeks for global tech infrastructure to fully recover, experts warn
CrowdStrike said a significant number of the over 8.5 million devices affected from Friday’s botched software update are back online.
The outage led to over 1,500 cancelled flights in the US and dozens more across the UK for the third day in a row, leaving passengers stranded across airports.
Hospitals, GPs, pharmacies, banks, supermarkets and millions of businesses have also been impacted.
CrowdStrike said the outage was caused by a defect in an update to its “Falcon” cybersecurity defence software for Windows hosts.
Over the weekend, Microsoft released a recovery tool to help repair Windows machines hit by the glitch that affected over 8.5 million devices.
However, experts warned that it could take weeks for global tech infrastructure to fully recover.
“Even if we could guarantee it could be fully fixed on Monday GPs would still need time to catch up from lost work over the weekend, and NHSE should make clear to patients that normal service cannot be resumed immediately,” David Wrigley, deputy chair of GPC England at the BMA, said.
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Air passengers facing further disruption following world IT outage
Passengers continue to face disruption at airports on Saturday as airlines reel from the impact of the global IT outage.
Nearly 7,000 flights were cancelled across the globe on Friday, including 408 to and from the UK.
As of 10am on Saturday, the UK had seen 23 departing and 25 inbound flights cancelled, according to figures from aviation analytics firm Cirium.
Luke O’Reilly reports:
Air passengers facing further disruption following world IT outage
Simon Calder explains your rights if flight is cancelled by global IT outage
Simon Calder explains your rights if flight is cancelled by global IT outage
NHS England reports systems ‘coming back online’ but ‘still running slow’
NHS England has reported that its systems are “coming back online in most areas” but “still running slightly slower than usual” and warned of “continued disruption” to GP services into next week.
An NHS spokesperson said: “The majority of systems including the EMIS appointment and patient record system, are now coming back online in most areas, however they are still running slightly slower than usual.
“As practices recover from the loss of IT systems on Friday, there may be some continued disruption, particularly to GP services, in some areas into next week as practices work to rebook appointments.
“The advice for Monday remains that patients should attend appointments as normal unless told otherwise.
“You can contact your GP in the usual way, otherwise please use your local pharmacy, NHS 111 online or call 111 for urgent health advice as normal.
“The 999 service has remained working over this period and so people should use this as they usually would in emergency situations.”
GPs and pharmacies say global IT outage disruption to continue over weekend
GPs and pharmacies have said that disruption from the global IT outage will continue over the weekend, amid warnings of travel delays after flight cancellations.
A flawed update rolled out by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike knocked many offline around the world on Friday, causing flight and train cancellations and crippling some healthcare systems.
A fix was deployed for a bug in the update, which affected Microsoft Windows PCs, on Friday, as CrowdStrike’s chief executive said it would take “some time” for systems to be fully restored.
Sam Hall reports:
GPs and pharmacies say global IT outage disruption to continue over weekend
Stranded airline passengers told to ‘come on down’ to Dover port amid IT outage
Holidaymakers left stranded by cancelled flights on Friday have been encouraged to take a ferry from Dover as thousands of families start to embark on summer holidays.
Flight delays and cancellations are among the disruption expected to continue into the weekend after Friday’s global IT outage, with experts warning it could take weeks for systems to fully recover.
It comes as thousands of families start to embark on summer holidays amid the end of the academic year for many schools.
William Warnes reports:
Stranded airline passengers told to ‘come on down’ to Dover port amid IT outage
Bombay Bicycle Club reschedule festival date they missed due to global IT outage
Indie rock band Bombay Bicycle Club have announced the rescheduled date of a music festival performance they missed due to the global IT outage.
The British group, comprised of Jack Steadman, Jamie MacColl, Suren de Saram and Ed Nash, were due to play Poolbar Festival in the Austrian town of Feldkirch on Friday but missed it due to a cancelled flight.
In a post to Instagram on Friday evening they said: “Unfortunately our flights to get to tonight’s Poolbar Festival show were cancelled because of the IT outage.
Hannah Roberts reports:
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