A global cyberattack appears to be underway
A widespread Windows failure has brought down the computer systems of the emergency services, banks, airports and more.
Windows machines are reportedly failing to boot, with unconfirmed reports suggesting the problem lies with the software of cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike.
The issue is creating havoc worldwide with reports of:
- Flights being grounded at airports across the world
- Online banking services refusing to let customers log in or transact
- Broadcasters being forced off air
The Down Detector website is showing a sharp uptick in reports of disrupted services, including Microsoft, Visa, Ryanair and many other companies, as shown below:
Down Detector indicates a widespread attack is underway
Troy Hunt, creator of the HaveIBeenPwned website, has also reported on X that he’s seeing widespread reports of Windows PCs suffering from the infamous Blue Screen of Death, where they refuse to boot.
“Something super weird happening right now: just been called by several totally different media outlets in the last few minutes, all with Windows machines suddenly BSoD’ing (Blue Screen of Death),” he posted.
There are reports of the problem striking in the U.S. India, Japan and many other countries around the world. Attempts to log into two U.K. banks this morning have failed. There are also reports of flights being grounded in several airports worldwide.
U.S. emergency service computers have also been affected. Writing on the Hacker News website, one commenter claims: “My entire emergency department got knocked offline by this. Really scary when you have ambulances coming in and are trying to stabilize a heart attack. 911 is down in Oregon too.”
In the U.K. train services are being disrupted by the failure. “We are currently experiencing widespread IT issues across our entire network,” the Southern Railway team posted on X, which is responsible for many of the train services in the south of England.
“We are unable to access driver diagrams at certain locations, leading to potential short-notice cancellations, particularly on the Thameslink and Great Northern networks.”
Sky News is currently off air in the U.K. having also reportedly been hit by the problem.
It’s not yet clear if this is a cyberattack or some other failure. Unconfirmed reports suggest that CrowdStrike’s support engineers have acknowledged the problem is with the company’s software and that they are reverting an update that seemingly caused the issue.
This is a breaking news story. More to follow.