Tech outage wreaks havoc on airports, impacts Central Florida businesses and emergency services

People across not just Central Florida but the world, are continuing to feel the impacts of a massive tech outage.

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A faulty software update disrupted operations for banks, businesses, and emergency services.

The problems are linked to cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike which sells antivirus software to large corporations.

More than half of Fortune 500 companies use CrowdStrike software.

The company issued a faulty software update for Microsoft Windows’ operating system.

CrowdStrike’s CEO George Kurtz posted to ‘X’ to apologize for the global problem and stressed that the issues are not the result of a security breach or a cyberattack.

“We understand the gravity of the situation and are deeply sorry for the inconvenience and disruption. We are working with all impacted customers to ensure that systems are back up and they can deliver the services their customers are counting on,” said Kurtz.

In Central Florida, the error wreaked havoc on Orlando International Airport, especially during the early morning hours.

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Channel 9 crews watched long lines form then dissipate at ticket counters and baggage claim.

More than 300 flights were delayed into and out of OIA and over 80 flights were cancelled Friday leaving passengers frustrated.

“ Look at these lines,” said one passenger, “You call Delta right now and the wait times are 6 hours.

The error wreaked havoc far beyond the gates of Orlando International Airport.

Both UPS and Fedex said packages could be delayed, Lynx said their reservation system was temporarily down, and local banks also felt the impact.

One passenger who wrapped up a Disney cruise also told Channel 9 their boat captain announced that the tech glitch had impacted the cruise’s check-out process.

However, Channel 9 has not been able to independently confirm that with Disney.

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While CrowdStrike’s CEO said a fix has been deployed, experts say it’s going to take a while for businesses to be up and running like normal.

“The bulk of the critical services will most likely be dealt with over the course of the day, and then we’ll probably see a lot of IT staff working over the weekend,” said Danny Jenkins CEO of ThreatLocker, an Orlando based cybersecurity company.

Jenkins said IT staff for businesses across the globe will need to work overtime, physically rebooting hundreds of computer machines to get rid of bad software.

“They have to physically do it, and they have to delete the updated file, and then reboot the machine, and it will be fine,” said Jenkins.

The outage is also impacting emergency services in Central Florida including the 911 system for the St. Cloud Police Department.

The city is working to fix the problem and recommends enabling wi-fi calls or if necessary, sending a text to 911. You can also call the non-emergency number at 407-891-6700.

The worldwide outage is also affecting turnpike service plazas, ATMs and the ability to pay for items with a credit card.

Lynx also confirmed the issue impacted access Lynx reservations and neighborlink customers. However, that was fixed by Friday afternoon.

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