GTRA flight delayed, schools impacted by computer outage

In a significant turn of events, a software glitch from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike disrupted operations worldwide on the morning of July 20, 2024. The snafu impacted on various sectors, causing flight delays at the Golden Triangle Regional Airport (GTRA) and affecting school registration processes in the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District (SOCSD).

Faulty Software Update Causes Havoc

As per CrowdStrike’s statement, the glitch resulted not from hacking or a cyberattack but from a faulty software update. The mishap, which affected customers using Microsoft Windows worldwide, led to immediate efforts by the firm to provide a fix. The firm further clarified that its Falcon platform and Mac and Linux hosts were not affected.

Impact on Flights and Schools

The most significant impact of the glitch was observed in the delay of thousands of flights worldwide, including those from the GTRA. GTRA Executive Director Matt Dowell stated that while the airport did not experience the effects of the glitch, some of the airlines they work with faced delays. “The impact to GTR was flight delays,” Dowell told The Dispatch Friday morning. “Our morning flight was delayed by two hours. And what kind of happens with any airline is, once you have a delay on one flight, then that trickles on to your next flight and so on and so forth.”

Apart from the airports, the SOCSD was notably affected, with issues arising in the Powerschool platform that houses school registration, student records, and school messenger platforms. SOCSD Communications Director Haley Montgomery shed light on the situation stating that she received notification about system issues due to the global Microsoft outage. “Currently, with us being down, if people have not completed their school registration, they’re not able to complete that right now through our online interface,” she added.

Impact on Health Sector

The software glitch also brushed the health sector, with some hospitals experiencing a minor disruption. Some of the third-party vendors of OCH Regional Medical Center and Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle reported the glitch’s impact. However, the primary systems at both hospitals were unscathed, and patient care remained mostly unaffected.

Future Measures

The sudden global software glitch underscores the need for a robust and fault-tolerant digital infrastructure, especially in essential sectors such as aviation, education, and healthcare. Crucial steps towards risk mitigation include regular system maintenance, advanced threat detection tools, and comprehensive contingency plans to ensure minimal disruption in case of unexpected technical glitches.