The Big Tech giant Microsoft is facing a widespread outage of its Windows systems, which has subsequently disrupted various critical services across the globe, including emergency services, banks, airports and broadcasters.
The failure, which began in the late hours of July 18 and continued into the following day, appears to be linked to the cybersecurity software of CrowdStrike according to a Forbes report. It has left many institutions grappling with severe operational challenges.
In a post on X on July 18 at 11:41 pm UTC, Microsoft 365 Status posted that it was investigating an issue “impacting users ability to access various Microsoft 365 apps and services.”
In the latest update from Microsoft at 7:55 am UTC, it said that multiple services are “continuing to see improvements in availability” as it continues to troubleshoot the problem.
Banking Sector Hit Hard
The banking sector has been one of the hardest hit by this Windows failure. Online banking services have been particularly affected, with customers worldwide reporting issues with logging in and performing transactions.
Downdetector, a website that tracks service outages, has shown a substantial increase in reports of disrupted banking services.
In the United Kingdom, attempts to log into two major banks were unsuccessful this morning. Customers found themselves unable to access their accounts, causing widespread frustration and anxiety.
Similar issues have been reported in banks across the United States, Australia, and India, highlighting the global nature of this disruption.