Global Tech Outage Caused by CrowdStrike: Impact on Austin, Texas Businesses

On July 20, 2024, a significant global tech outage linked to CrowdStrike, a leading cybersecurity firm, caused widespread disruption across various sectors. The incident, initially believed to be a technical glitch, quickly evolved into a serious concern as businesses worldwide grappled with interrupted services and data access issues. Austin, Texas—a bustling hub for technology and innovation—was notably impacted. This article explores how local businesses in Austin were affected, how they managed the crisis, and the broader implications for the city’s vibrant tech community.

Numerous state and local agencies were affected by a global technology outage that happened after a faulty software update issued by a cybersecurity company based in Austin on Friday morning.

The update issued by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike grounded flights, knocked banks offline, and media outlets off air on Friday in a massive disruption that affected companies and services around the world, according to reporting from the Associated Press.

CapMetro and the Austin Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) were affected by the outage. Texas driver license offices and Department of Motor Vehicles offices were closed Friday because of the outage.

Widespread Technology Outage Disrupts Flights, Banks, Media Outlets, and Companies Around the World

The issue affected Microsoft 365 apps and services across the globe. Company leaders said the issue was not caused by a security incident or cyberattack, that the issue was identified and a fix was in the works.

CrowdStrike’s Founder and CEO George Kurtz later released a statement regarding the outage:

“I want to sincerely apologize directly to all of you for today’s outage. All of CrowdStrike understands the gravity and impact of the situation. We quickly identified the issue and deployed a fix, allowing us to focus diligently on restoring customer systems as our highest priority. The outage was caused by a defect found in a Falcon content update for Windows hosts. Mac and Linux hosts are not impacted. This was not a cyberattack. We are working closely with impacted customers and partners to ensure that all systems are restored, so you can deliver the services your customers rely on.”

Impact on Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)

AUS said Friday the outage affected airlines that serve the airport, and anyone flying out should check their flight status before heading to the airport.

“Similar to other airports and industries globally, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) is responding to an IT outage affecting our airline partners. While AUS IT systems remain unaffected, our teams have been working diligently with affected airlines to mitigate the effects of the outage and minimize disruptions to airport operations. We are seeing delays and cancellations due to the outage and we anticipate further disruptions as airlines work to resume normal operations. Passengers should check the status of their flight before heading to the airport and continue to monitor communications from their respective airlines; if their flight is confirmed, passengers should allow extra time to arrive at the airport.”

CapMetro’s Response

CapMetro posted online at 5:13 a.m. that it was being impacted by the outage and that customers could experience delays. Shortly before 9 a.m., the service’s communication manager told KXAN over the phone their systems were back up.

Texas Department of Public Safety and DMV Offices

Texas Department of Public Safety Driver License Offices across the state were also shut down “due to technical issues” Friday morning, according to a social media post from DPS. Customers with appointments were notified.

DPS said in the post IT teams are working on a fix, but there was no estimate on when the offices will open, and that customers should monitor DPS’ social media and website for updates.

The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles was also impacted by the global outage and said many department systems were unavailable Friday morning.

“We are working to restore all services as soon as possible,” the DMV said in a post.

The Travis County Tax Office said that due to the DMV outages, all tax office locations would be closed Friday until at least 1 p.m.

Local Business and Service Impacts

The Austin Police Department said its computer-aided dispatch (CAD) systems went down, and it switched to a secondary which is “standard procedure and practice.” APD said this did not impact patrol response.

The Travis County Sheriff’s Office had a similar experience with the outage, saying shortly before 10 a.m. that its overall system was back up and running, but the CAD system was impacted overnight. It did not impact every operator/dispatcher’s computer, and there was no delay in response to 911 calls. TCSO said IT worked immediately and overnight to get things up and running.

Williamson County government said it was affected overnight by the outage but it did not impact Williamson County Emergency Communications’ ability to answer 911 calls or dispatch appropriate first responders. Williamson County Technology Services Department worked through the night to bring systems back online.

The Georgetown and San Marcos police departments confirmed they experienced no issues caused by the outage.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas said grid operations were not impacted, and that the grid is “operating under normal conditions with no reliability issues.”

Conclusion

The global tech outage caused by CrowdStrike has highlighted the critical role of cybersecurity in today’s interconnected world. Austin, Texas, with its thriving tech ecosystem, faced notable challenges but demonstrated resilience and adaptability. As businesses recover and learn from the experience, the city’s tech community is poised to emerge stronger, with a renewed focus on comprehensive and robust cybersecurity practices.