Newcastle Grapples with Global Tech Outage

Newcastle, Australia – A massive global technology outage, initiated by a faulty update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, brought significant disruption across Newcastle and the broader Hunter region. This unprecedented event is being described as one of the largest IT outages in history, causing extensive interruptions to services and businesses worldwide.

On Friday, Newcastle radio stations 102.9 Triple M and Hit106.9 were abruptly taken off air, resorting to backup tapes based at Mt Sugarloaf for broadcasting. Meanwhile, 1053 NEWFM boasted of their uninterrupted live and local service on social media. And of course, Newy 87.8 remained on air.

The television sector faced severe challenges as NBN News encountered the “blue screen of death” (BSOD) on all their computers, preventing the 6pm news from broadcasting. Anchor Natasha Beyersdorf informed viewers through social media that local news updates would be available online and viewers on television would be able to watch Nine News Sydney with Georgie Gardener for their evening coverage, minus local news, sport and weather. The 4pm State news on Channel 9 Sydney was similarly affected, resulting in the broadcast of Melbourne’s news and weather into Newcastle. ABC Television had to rely on live crosses and manual scripting due to the failure of their automated systems.

Retail services were not spared. Coles at Marketown managed to operate on a single register only, while Woolworths was forced to close its doors temporarily. Fast food outlets on Hunter Street experienced similar disruptions, causing significant inconvenience to shoppers. The outage also took a toll on internet banking apps and OSKO payments, leaving many unable to complete transactions and cash going missing in limbo when making a transfer. This led to frustrations at service stations and grocery stores, with some individuals unable to pay for fuel or groceries, prompting a surge in cash transactions.

Transport systems were hit hard, with the Hunter rail line ceasing operations due to radio communication system failures. Services resumed at 6pm after buses were arranged to replace the downed services. Newcastle Airport also reported disruptions, advising passengers to contact their airlines for flight updates.

The community response on social media highlighted the importance of cash transactions in such situations. Social media was flooded with conspiracy theories and frustrations over the reliance on digital systems. Mia Riley shared concerns about the abusive behaviour her mother, a worker at Coles Marketown, faced from frustrated shoppers.

NSW Police experienced temporary disruptions to internal systems but assured the public that Triple-Zero calls remained unaffected. An emergency meeting was convened by the federal government, with officials confirming no evidence of a cyberattack. The National Cyber Security Coordinator, Michelle McGuinness, assured the public that steps were being taken to resolve the issue.

Globally, the CrowdStrike update, intended to enhance security, inadvertently led to massive disruptions. Microsoft acknowledged the issue and worked with CrowdStrike to deploy a fix. However, recovery is expected to take time, with ongoing impacts on essential services such as healthcare and airlines.

Over 2,100 flights were cancelled globally, with significant delays continuing as airlines struggled to manage the fallout. Major banks in the US, UK, and Australia experienced outages affecting online banking and transactions, causing widespread inconvenience. Healthcare systems in multiple countries had to resort to manual operations, with some elective procedures being cancelled.

CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz issued an apology, emphasising that the incident was not a cyberattack but a technical failure. He assured customers that a fix was being implemented. Microsoft reported that the issue stemmed from a configuration change affecting their Azure backend, leading to widespread service interruptions.

This unprecedented outage has highlighted the vulnerabilities of centralised global tech solutions and underscored the need for contingency plans to handle such widespread disruptions.

For ongoing updates and more detailed information, readers are encouraged to follow updates from news sources and official statements from CrowdStrike and Microsoft.

Video of Coles Newcastle West controlling shopper numbers in the store