Microsoft Faces Widespread Windows Outage, Disrupting Critical Services Globally
The tech giant Microsoft is currently dealing with a major outage of its Windows systems, causing significant disruptions to critical services worldwide, including emergency services, banks, airports, and broadcasters.
The outage, which began in the late hours of July 18 and continued into the next day, is reportedly linked to cybersecurity software from CrowdStrike, according to Forbes. This failure has left numerous institutions struggling with severe operational challenges.
In a post on X at 11:41 pm UTC on July 18, Microsoft 365 Status announced that it was investigating an issue “impacting users’ ability to access various Microsoft 365 apps and services.”
As of the latest update at 7:55 am UTC, Microsoft stated that multiple services are “continuing to see improvements in availability” as they work to resolve the issue.
Banking Sector Severely Affected
The banking sector has been particularly hard-hit by this Windows outage. Online banking services have experienced significant disruptions, with customers around the world reporting difficulties in logging in and conducting transactions.
Downdetector, a site that tracks service outages, reported a substantial increase in banking service disruptions.
In the United Kingdom, attempts to log into two major banks were unsuccessful this morning, leaving customers unable to access their accounts and causing widespread frustration and anxiety. Similar issues have been reported at banks across the United States, Australia, and India, highlighting the global impact of this disruption.
In addition to financial sector issues, airports worldwide have reported grounded flights, leading to significant travel disruptions. One X user from India shared a photo of a handwritten boarding pass he received, attributing it to the outage.
In the U.S., emergency services have also been affected, with reports of 911 systems being down in the state of Oregon. Meanwhile, in the UK, Southern Railway posted on X about experiencing widespread IT issues across its entire network.
Memecoins Surge Amidst the Chaos
As companies and service providers rush to restore normal operations, the full extent of the damage and the precise cause of the widespread Windows failure remain under investigation.
Nevertheless, the crypto community has quickly seized the opportunity to create new memecoins related to CrowdStrike, the alleged cause of the Microsoft outage, and the infamous Microsoft “Blue Screen of Death” (BSoD) error screen.
According to the memecoin tracker site Meme is Game, the BSOD token currently has a market cap of $4,449, while the Ethereum-based STRIKE token has a market cap hovering around $5,400, as reported by DEXscreener.
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