Global IT Outage Hits Singapore, Malaysia Service System and Airport
A recent global IT outage has wreaked havoc across major sectors worldwide, with Singapore and Malaysia being the most affected in Southeast Asia. A faulty update from cybersecurity provider CrowdStrike caused the outage. This led to thousands of Windows machines experiencing the dreaded Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), plunging critical services into chaos.
In Malaysia, while airports operated relatively smoothly, some disruptions were evident. Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) reported no grounded flights. However, long queues plagued Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 2 due to system slow-downs. Low-cost carrier AirAsia faced an in-house system outage, leading to lengthy check-in times and passenger frustration. Additionally, the railway operator KTM Bhd struggled with ticketing and customer service system disruptions.
Singapore Airport System and Service Affected by Outage
Singapore faced similar turmoil. Changi Airport’s check-in process reverted to manual operations for some airlines, resulting in delays and confusion. National carrier Singapore Airlines managed to keep flights on schedule. Although, it experienced technical difficulties with its reservation hotlines and services at its Ion Orchard centre. Scoot, SIA’s budget carrier, also faced disruptions, further straining airport operations. Online services of the Singapore Exchange and ZiG by ComfortDelGro were similarly impacted, reflecting the widespread nature of the outage.
CrowdStrike, the company at the heart of this crisis, faced significant backlash. The update linked to the outage involved their Falcon Sensor, causing systems to spiral into continuous reboots. CrowdStrike, a prominent player in cybersecurity, recently acquired several Israeli cybersecurity companies, raising eyebrows about its connections. One such acquisition developed the Falcon driver responsible for the malfunction, highlighting potential links to Zionism due to the company’s investment in Israeli tech firms.
This incident underscores the vulnerability of global IT infrastructure and the ripple effect of such outages. While Malaysia and Singapore grappled with service disruptions, other Southeast Asian countries reported no significant issues. The broader impact on global services, however, stresses the need for robust contingency plans and resilient IT systems to mitigate future risks.