IT outage fallout: CrowdStrike denies responsibility for Delta's flight disruptions
What's the story
Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike has refuted claims by Delta Air Lines that it was responsible for the extensive flight disruptions caused by a global computer outage in July. The outage, sparked by a faulty software update released by CrowdStrike, affected millions of computers worldwide, including those used by Delta. Thousands of Delta flights were canceled, impacting hundreds of thousands of passengers. In a letter to Delta, CrowdStrike expressed disappointment and strongly rejected any claims of negligence or misconduct.
Unanswered assistance
CrowdStrike criticizes Delta's response to outage
CrowdStrike also criticized Delta Air Lines for not responding to multiple offers of assistance following the system outage. The letter, signed by the cybersecurity firm's attorneys, revealed that CrowdStrike's CEO, George Kurtz, personally reached out to Delta's CEO, Ed Bastian. Despite these efforts, Kurtz received no response from Bastian. In another statement, CrowdStrike expressed hope that Delta would eventually agree to collaborate on resolving the issue.
Potential lawsuit
Delta considers legal action following massive outage
Delta Air Lines acknowledged the receipt of CrowdStrike's letter but referred to previous comments made by Bastian to CNBC. Bastian had mentioned potential legal action to recover financial losses and compensation for passengers affected by the outage. He also expressed concern about mitigating reputational damage caused by the disruption. The Atlanta-based airline reported a $500 million loss after canceling over 5,500 flights due to the incident which affected computers running Microsoft's Windows operating system.
Widespread impact
Other airlines also impacted by mid-July disruption
CrowdStrike's letter also clarified that as per the terms of its contracts, the company's liability is limited to an amount in the single-digit millions. The mid-July disruption not only affected Delta Air Lines but also other airlines, including Spirit Airlines Inc. and AirAsia. Spirit Airlines projected a $7.2 million loss in third-quarter operating income due to the IT outage.