Tech outage causes widespread disruption

INDIANAPOLIS – A widespread tech outage linked to Microsoft and CrowdStrike disrupted operations around the globe Friday, affecting everything from flights to banking to media outlets.

The issue grounded flights for several airlines, including American Airlines and Delta, and caused headaches for multiple companies.

Some customers were unable to make transactions, while the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles and AES Indiana both reported disruptions with their payment systems. The Social Security Administration even announced the closures of their offices due to the outage.

Flight disruptions

The tech issue grounded flights around the country. At Indianapolis International Airport, travelers stood in long lines as several flights were disrupted.

American Airlines said it was able to re-establish safe operations around 5 a.m. The airline cited a “technical issue with a vendor” that affected multiple carriers.

An American Airlines flight departed Indianapolis International at 5:40 a.m.

United cited a “third-party outage” affecting computer systems worldwide. The airline said some flights were resuming and acknowledged that many customers could experience delays.

The airline said it had issued a waiver to make it easier to change flights.

Delta said “some flights” resumed Friday after a “vendor technology issue” affected airlines and businesses. Like United, Delta issued a travel waiver.

A spokesperson with Indianapolis International Airport emphasized that travelers should check with their airline before arriving at the airport.

“A worldwide technical issue impacting IT systems at U.S. airlines has caused some airlines to have a ground stop,” the airport posted on Friday . “Travelers planning to depart from IND today should please check with their airline for updates on flight status before coming to the terminal.”

FlightAware , a website that tracks cancellations and delays, reported 40 delays and 27 cancellations at Indianapolis International as of 11:20 a.m.

The FAA said it was “closely monitoring” a technical issue affect IT systems at U.S. airlines. Several carriers requested ground stops “until the issue is resolved.”

AES Indiana payment issues

AES Indiana said its systems were affected by the outage, leaving customers unable to pay their bills.

“AES Indiana’s payment vendor has been affected by the widespread global IT outage. At this time, customers are unable to pay bills. We’ll keep you updated when payments options are restored,” the company posted early Friday .

A message on its website indicated customers can’t pay “through online accounts, Kubra EZ-Pay, kiosks, or through our phone system.”

The message also said AES was not imposing late fees or disconnecting customers.

Shortly before 3 p.m., AES said the issue impacting their payment vendor was resolved and customers can resume making payments.

Indiana BMV transactions

The tech outage also hit the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

The BMV said it was unable to process transactions, according to messages posted on its website and social media .

“Please check our website and social media for updates. We apologize for any inconvenience,” the agency said.

At 2 p.m., the Indiana BMV announced that myBMV was back online. Some BMV Connect kiosks remain down, however.

“Our branches are still working to restore their systems. We appreciate your patience as we work through this global outage,” the agency said.

Social Security Administration

At approximately 11:30 a.m., the Social Security Administration announced that all local SSA offices would be closed to the public on Friday due to the global outage.

The SSA said their phone line remains open as do most online services.

“We appreciate your patience while we work to restore services as quickly as possible,” the SSA said.

To stay updated on the SSA operations, click here.

CrowdStrike response

Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike said the issue affecting operations around the world was not a “security incident or cyberattack.”

CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz wrote on social media that the issue involved a “single content update for Windows hosts.” Mac and Linux hosts were unaffected.

“This is not a security incident or cyberattack. The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed,” Kurtz wrote.

Microsoft update

Microsoft said an update to CrowdStrike Falcon Sensor software disrupted Windows 365 Cloud PCs. Users should restore their computers to a prior release version .

The software is intended to prevent cyberattacks against systems.

Microsoft also acknowledged that users were having trouble accessing 365 apps and services . The status website identified “service degradation” for Microsoft Teams and other apps.

Several other services had been restored, the company indicated, including Defender, OneNote, OneDrive, SharePoint and Windows 365.

The company attributed its issues to a change “in a portion of our Azure backend workloads.”

The underlying problem had been fixed, although users may encounter “residual impact,” the company said.

Downdetector reports

Downdetector.com , a website that tracks online disruptions based on user reports, showed several companies were experiencing problems on Friday.

User reports were on the rise at several companies, including TD Bank, Bank of America, Chase and Visa.

Users were reporting the inability to access apps or websites. Some indicated they had yet to receive their paychecks via direct deposit or difficulties in making transactions.

911 disruptions

Overnight, Noble County EMA reported a 911 outage and urged local residents to contact dispatchers in case of an emergency. In a later update, the county said 911 lines were being rerouted to surrounding counties.

A check of Marion, Boone, Hamilton and Hancock counties showed 911 service was active, with the outage having minimal impact.

“Glad to report we were not affected in the outage,” Hancock County 911 wrote on social media . “All systems operating as normal–we’re here and ready when you need us.”

Other cities and states, however, were reporting widespread issues with 911 services.

Alaska state troopers cited a “nationwide technology-related outage” for issues with its 911 and non-emergency call centers. New Hampshire experienced a service outage overnight that was later restored, according to WMUR .

In Phoenix, emergency response systems were reportedly down at some of the area’s police agencies and hospitals, according to the Arizona Republic .

NewsNation reported disruptions for 911 service in New York City.

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