CrowdStrike, Microsoft Face Lawsuit from Delta Air Lines After System Crash

by do son · July 31, 2024

On July 19, a software configuration update released by the cybersecurity company CrowdStrike, which had not been thoroughly tested, caused approximately 8.5 million enterprise-level devices worldwide to experience blue screen crashes. The potential consequences of such a large-scale failure are immeasurable.

Delta Air Lines, one of the victims of this incident, faced significant disruptions as their servers also utilized CrowdStrike’s Falcon software. The blue screen crashes rendered their systems incapable of processing flight information, resulting in the cancellation of numerous flights globally.

The company now plans to file a lawsuit against CrowdStrike and Microsoft, seeking compensation, as reported by CNBC. Anonymous sources report that Delta Air Lines had to cancel flights for 176,000 passengers, refund their tickets, and provide additional compensation, with the estimated loss ranging between $350 million to $500 million.

Preliminary analyses by market research firms estimate that the global economic impact of the blue screen crashes exceeds $15 billion, severely affecting many businesses, particularly critical infrastructure operators such as airlines.

The reasons for including Microsoft in the lawsuit remain unclear. It may be due to allegations that, as the operating system provider, Microsoft failed to ensure the quality of security software with kernel-level access, or perhaps simply to compel Microsoft to provide evidence during court proceedings.

Apart from Delta Air Lines, other companies are also preparing to file lawsuits seeking compensation from CrowdStrike. However, obtaining compensation may prove to be extremely challenging, given that both CrowdStrike and Windows have agreements explicitly disclaiming liability for such issues.