A global tech outage, linked to a software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, has impacted nearly 8.5 million Microsoft devices, the company revealed in a blog post on Saturday.

“We currently estimate that CrowdStrike’s update affected 8.5 million Windows devices, or less than one percent of all Windows machines,” Microsoft stated.

The software update from CrowdStrike, a major player in the cybersecurity industry, led to widespread system issues, grounding flights, disrupting broadcasters, and cutting off access to essential services such as healthcare and banking. “While the percentage was small, the broad economic and societal impacts reflect the use of CrowdStrike by enterprises that run many critical services,” Microsoft noted.

CrowdStrike has developed a solution to help Microsoft’s Azure infrastructure expedite a fix. Microsoft is also collaborating with Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform, sharing data on the industry’s impacts. The cooperation aims to ensure that a comprehensive solution is implemented across various platforms, minimizing future risks of similar outages.

The air travel sector was notably affected, with thousands of flights canceled, leaving passengers stranded or facing lengthy delays. Delta Air Lines, one of the worst-hit airlines, reported over 600 flight cancellations by 10 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT) on Saturday, with further cancellations anticipated. The disruption caused significant inconvenience to travelers, highlighting the critical role of cybersecurity in maintaining the functionality of modern infrastructure.

In addition to the travel industry, other sectors including healthcare, banking, and media experienced significant disruptions. Hospitals reported difficulties in accessing patient records, while banking services faced transaction delays. Broadcasters struggled to maintain regular programming, leading to interruptions in news and entertainment services.

Microsoft emphasized the importance of robust cybersecurity measures and the need for ongoing collaboration between technology providers to address vulnerabilities. The incident underscores the interconnected nature of today’s digital services and the far-reaching consequences of system failures.

As the industry recovers from this significant outage, Microsoft, CrowdStrike, and other tech giants are working to mitigate the disruption and restore normal operations. The event serves as a stark reminder of the vital importance of cybersecurity in safeguarding critical infrastructure and the everyday services that millions of people rely on.