Dubai: Dubai, a global hub for travel and commerce, found itself partially grounded on Friday, July 19th, as a ripple effect from a faulty update by cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike triggered a global IT outage.
While the city managed to avert major chaos, the incident highlighted the potential vulnerability of critical infrastructure to such disruptions.
UAE government services affected
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) reported that some of their electronic systems, including authentication services, were down due to the glitch. They advised the public to avoid online transactions until the issue was resolved. It was able to restore its online services after nearly three hours.
The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (Mohre) also experienced disruptions, with users encountering difficulties accessing the website for crucial services like work permits. Their technical team collaborated with relevant authorities to address the challenge.
Status of UAE airports and airlines
The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) confirmed minor delays in flight arrival registrations due to the global technical issue. However, airlines quickly switched to alternative systems, allowing normal check-in processes to resume.
Sharjah International Airport maintained normal operations, while Dubai International Airport (DXB) reported a brief system outage that affected check-in for some airlines in Terminals 1 and 2. The affected airlines swiftly switched to an alternate system, ensuring a swift resumption of normal check-in procedures.
Etihad Airways confirmed their flights operated as usual but warned of potential limited delays due to the global disruption impacting their network.
Emirates, Dubai's flagship carrier, reported no delays but advised customers to monitor their website and app for updates due to potential knock-on effects from delayed departures at other airports within their network.
Flydubai and Air Arabia confirmed their operations were not affected by the outage. However, both airlines remained vigilant and monitored the situation closely. Wizz Air Abu Dhabi advised passengers to arrive at the airport three hours before their departure time due to the ongoing IT outages impacting the aviation sector worldwide.
Global impact of the outage
The Crowdstrike update caused disruptions at airports in Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, and India, with reports of long lines at check-in counters. Major US air carriers like Delta, United, and American Airlines also grounded flights according to the US Federal Aviation Administration.
What is Crowdstrike?
Crowdstrike is a US-based cybersecurity company offering cloud-based endpoint protection solutions. Their flagship product, Falcon, utilizes artificial intelligence to detect intrusions across networks and endpoints. Microsoft reportedly uses Crowdstrike for all their software, explaining the link between the outage and issues with several Microsoft-run systems.
Potential causes of the outage
Tech expert Rayad Kamal Ayub suggests two possible reasons for the outage. Crowdstrike claims the issue arose from a faulty regular update that caused system crashes. Cybersecurity experts, however, haven't ruled out the possibility of a malicious attack.
The widespread use of Crowdstrike across various sectors like banks and airlines could potentially lead to significant service disruptions. The public is advised to remain vigilant against potential hacking attempts while using their systems.
Source: Khaleej Times