Global tech outage early Friday causes some disruptions in Maine
File photo / Jim Neuger
Multiple flights were cancelled or delayed at the Portland International Jetport Friday as a result of a global tech outage that disrupted air travel worldwide.
An unprecedented global technology outage wreaked havoc at airports, banks and broadcasters early Friday, leading to some disruptions in Maine.
The outage was attributed to a Microsoft Windows software update by CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: CRWD), an Austin, Texas-based cybersecurity company, causing computers worldwide to crash.
In a statement, CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz said the incident is not security-related or a cyberattack, and that the issue "has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed."
American Airlines, United and Delta all grounded flights early Friday due to the outage. That was having an impact on air travel at Maine's biggest airport.
“We have been impacted and there are several airlines reporting delays this morning,” Paul Bradbury, director of the Portland International Jetport, told Mainebiz.
Flights at Bangor International Airport were also affected, the airport said in a Facebook post urging passengers to plan for extended wait times, flight changes or cancellations.
"The FAA is closely monitoring a technical issue impacting IT systems at U.S. airlines. Several airlines have requested FAA assistance with ground stops until the issue is resolved," the airport said.
"We know that delays are an inconvenience, but please extend kindness to your fellow passengers, airline ticket counter staff and gate agents, as well as your flight crews," the statement added. "We're all in this together!"
At the University of Maine System, all 26 Windows servers that had been affected by the outage have been restored, while 258 Windows 10/11 workstations “still require attention,” according to an internal staff memo from Chief Information Officer Robert Placido.
“While our deployment is limited to high-risk areas, the impact is still significant and part of a larger global outage affecting organizations worldwide,” he told colleagues in the memo.
By mid-afternoon, only about 150 computer workstations across statewide public universities that use Microsoft Windows were still in the queue to be fixed, a spokeswoman told Mainebiz.
She also said that the system's ability to serve students and the public was maintained throughout the global outage, and that "all systems and servers that were impacted were quickly restored."
Noel Gallagher, a spokeswoman for the Maine Community College System said her organization was not affected by the outage because "we don't use that product."
Bangor and Augusta
Some city services in Bangor were disrupted.
"I think some folks are back on," Anne Krieg, the city's director of community and economic development, said just before 9:30 a.m.. "My computer was OK, but not sure if the front services are back on."
In Augusta, Economic Development Director Keith Luke said the only impact he was aware of is the Munis accounting system, used by many municipalities across Maine and the U.S., was down.
"We are still accepting payments for taxes and automobile registrations and providing handwritten receipts but the outage has limited our ability to look things up, like payment records," he said. "Once the system is back online, payments that have been accepted using manual methods will be entered into the system."
Of air travel in and out of the state capital, he said, "The Augusta State Airport is open. This morning’s CapeAir flight departed for Boston on time, and private flights are arriving for a big central Maine summer camp weekend."
At Amtrak, there was no impact to train operations, according to Jason Abrams, a New York-based spokesman for the company.
It also appeared to be business as usual for Maine state government.
"Following reports of a widespread technology outage causing service disruptions around the globe, the State of Maine’s Office of Information Technology (MaineIT) reports it has detected no disruption to State of Maine systems or services at this time," the agency said in an emailed statement.
"MaineIT will continue to monitor state of Maine systems and services throughout the day," it added.
'Minor' issues at banks
In the financial sector, Maine Bankers Association President Jim Roche said, that some banks in Maine are affected by the CrowdStrike software update.
“The issues seem to be minor, and more than anything, an inconvenience for some customers. But banks are working quickly to resolve any issues. And it’s very important to note that this is nota security incident or cybercrime. This problem resulted from a software update.”
He also underscored that “banks’ most precious asset is their customers, so they will continue to ensure that customer accounts and data are protected and secure. I suspect that in a matter of hours all CrowdStrike issues will be resolved, and this will just be another blip reflecting our technology-dependent world.”
At Town & Country Federal Credit Union, spokesman Jon Paradise said his institution was not experiencing any issues or impact.
"Obviously, we will continue to monitor this situation closely," he added.
There were also no disruptions at MaineHealth, the state's largest health care system, according to spokesman John Porter, who said, "I’m told we are not a customer and unaffected."
Along similar lines, Sarah Belliveau, CEO of accounting firm BerryDunn, said, "Gratefully, we don't have any firsthand experience of this situation to describe."
Editor's Note: This story has been updated with additional information.
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