A global technology outage caused by a faulty software update grounded flights, knocked media outlets offline, and disrupted hospitals, small businesses, and government offices on Friday, highlighting the fragility of a digitized world dependent on just a handful of providers.
The trouble with the update, issued by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, affected customers running Microsoft Windows. It was not the result of hacking or a cyberattack, according to CrowdStrike, which apologized and said a fix was on the way.
Businesses and governments experienced hours-long disruptions and scrambled to deal with the fallout.
Thousands of flights were canceled and tens of thousands were delayed around the world, leading to long…
