The IT disaster may have consequences for weeks

To restore all computers in the global IT disaster can take weeks. Affected computers must be addressed manually, which will be a tough challenge for companies with thousands of units.

» Updated: July 21 2024

» Published: July 20 2024

The IT disaster may have consequences for weeks
Photo: Caisa Rasmussen/TT

To restore all computers in the global IT disaster may take weeks.

Affected computers must be addressed manually, which will be a tough challenge for companies with thousands of units.

The disruptions began as early as Thursday, but it was on Friday that they spread globally. IT experts call the disaster the largest that has ever occurred.

It was when the global cybersecurity company Crowdstrike sent out an update for the Falcon software to its customers that the problems began. PC users who had Crowdstrike installed on their computer were met with a blue screen with an error message.

Very many of these computers have therefore also crashed, said IT security specialist Karl Emil Nikka to TT on Friday.

Solution may take weeks

The company has since addressed the problem by withdrawing the update. Despite this, the consequences may be long-lasting. The computer problems may take days, if not weeks, to address, reports The Guardian.

According to Alan Woodward, professor of cybersecurity at the University of Surrey, a manual restart is required and "most standard users would not know how to follow the instructions." For companies with thousands of computers, it is therefore a major challenge ahead.

Even Swedish experts make the same assessment:

When it's this many computers, millions, then we can send all IT technicians in the world – it will still take days or weeks, says Måns Jonasson at the Internet Foundation to SVT News.

How easily the problem can be addressed on the affected computers depends on an important factor, according to Karl Emil Nikka:

If the computer can enter the Windows operating system, then they can do the update. The problem is that if the computers can't even enter Windows, then they can't get the application to update the faulty file.

Air traffic resumes

The disaster brought global air traffic to a standstill with canceled flights and in the US, planes were forced to stay on the ground.

In Sweden, air traffic is flowing well, but there may be follow-up delays, writes Swedavia in a press release to TT.

On Saturday, several American airlines, as well as airports around Asia, reported that they were resuming operations. It is again possible to check in for flights in Thailand, Hong Kong, and South Korea, and the situation was mostly under control at airports in India, Indonesia, and Singapore on Saturday afternoon local time.

Several American ports were closed on Friday, but operations were largely resumed on Saturday, reports CNBC.

Tags

TTT
By TT - Translated and adapted by Sweden Herald under license from TT

More news

Dubai Chocolate Craze Drives Pistachio
1 MIN READ

Dubai Chocolate Craze Drives Pistachio Prices to New Heights

Volvo to Cut Up to
1 MIN READ

Volvo to Cut Up to 800 Jobs in US Facilities

Easter Eggs Evolve: More Companies
1 MIN READ

Easter Eggs Evolve: More Companies Join the Festive Trend

Survey Reveals Workplace Silence Affects
1 MIN READ

Survey Reveals Workplace Silence Affects One in Seven Employees

Swedes to Spend Nearly a
3 MIN READ

Swedes to Spend Nearly a Billion Kronor on Easter Candy

Indonesia to Boost Oil and
1 MIN READ

Indonesia to Boost Oil and Gas Imports from USA to Ease Trade Tariffs

European Stocks Gain Popularity as
3 MIN READ

European Stocks Gain Popularity as Investors Shift Focus from US

Asian Markets Show Mixed Movements
1 MIN READ

Asian Markets Show Mixed Movements as Investors Eye US Tariff Talks

Netflix Surpasses Market Forecasts with
1 MIN READ

Netflix Surpasses Market Forecasts with Strong Quarterly Earnings

United Health's Sharp Decline Weighs
1 MIN READ

United Health's Sharp Decline Weighs on Wall Street Indices

Civil Servant Strike Averted as
2 MIN READ

Civil Servant Strike Averted as New Agreements Reached

IMF Predicts Global Economy to
1 MIN READ

IMF Predicts Global Economy to Sidestep Recession Despite Trade Strains

Judge Rules Google Maintains Illegal
1 MIN READ

Judge Rules Google Maintains Illegal Monopoly in Digital Advertising

Electricians Secure New Deal with
1 MIN READ

Electricians Secure New Deal with Pay Raises and Shorter Hours

US Economy Shows New Signs
2 MIN READ

US Economy Shows New Signs of Weakness with Housing and Manufacturing Slumps

Jonathan Anderson Named Dior Menswear
1 MIN READ

Jonathan Anderson Named Dior Menswear Creative Director

Eli Lilly Shares Surge After
1 MIN READ

Eli Lilly Shares Surge After Promising Weight Loss Pill Results

ECB Lowers Rates Again, More
3 MIN READ

ECB Lowers Rates Again, More Cuts Expected This Year

Study Reveals Long-Term Economic Strain
1 MIN READ

Study Reveals Long-Term Economic Strain for Russia in Ukraine Conflict

Trump Claims He Can Oust
2 MIN READ

Trump Claims He Can Oust Fed Chair Powell Despite Lacking Authority

Hermes Increases U.S. Prices to
1 MIN READ

Hermes Increases U.S. Prices to Offset Tariff Impact

Trump Administration Halts New York
1 MIN READ

Trump Administration Halts New York Offshore Wind Farm Construction

Genre image
1 MIN READ

Pernod Ricard Sales Dip Due to Cognac Challenges in China

TSMC Reports Strong Q1 Results
1 MIN READ

TSMC Reports Strong Q1 Results with 42% Sales Increase

ABB Gains Despite Downturn in
1 MIN READ

ABB Gains Despite Downturn in Stockholm Stock Exchange

ABB Boosts Profit, Plans Robotics
2 MIN READ

ABB Boosts Profit, Plans Robotics Division Spin-Off

Asian Markets Rise on Positive
1 MIN READ

Asian Markets Rise on Positive US-Japan Trade Talks

SBAB Predicts Decline in Mortgage
1 MIN READ

SBAB Predicts Decline in Mortgage Rates as Repo Rate Expected to Drop

Trump Reports 'Great Progress' in
2 MIN READ

Trump Reports 'Great Progress' in Trade Talks with Japan

Nvidia's Warning Sends Wall Street
1 MIN READ

Nvidia's Warning Sends Wall Street Indices Tumbling

EU Launches Safety Sweep to
1 MIN READ

EU Launches Safety Sweep to Tackle Dangerous Products Online

WTO Report: Trump's Tariffs Could
1 MIN READ

WTO Report: Trump's Tariffs Could Cut Global Trade by 1.5% by 2025

Record Restaurant Bankruptcies in March
1 MIN READ

Record Restaurant Bankruptcies in March Highlight Industry Struggles

US Retail Sales Surge in
1 MIN READ

US Retail Sales Surge in March, Driven by Car Purchases

Northvolt's Acting CEO Pia Aaltonen-Forsell
1 MIN READ

Northvolt's Acting CEO Pia Aaltonen-Forsell Steps Down

California Challenges Trump's Tariffs in
1 MIN READ

California Challenges Trump's Tariffs in Court, Citing Illegality