Global IT chaos triggered by software glitch eases slightly

Tess Bennett, Paul Smith, Andrew Tillett and Tom Richardson

Updated Jul 20, 2024 – 4.33am, first published at Jul 19, 2024 – 4.50pm

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In what will go down as the most spectacular IT failure the world has ever seen, a botched software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike Holdings crashed countless Microsoft Windows computer systems globally.

Microsoft and CrowdStrike rolled out fixes and systems were being restored, though it’s expected to take time to completely recover from the disruptions.

Tess Bennett is a technology reporter with The Australian Financial Review, based in the Brisbane newsroom. She was previously the work & careers reporter.

Paul Smith edits the technology coverage and has been a leading writer on the sector for 20 years. He covers big tech, business use of tech, the fast-growing Australian tech industry and start-ups, telecommunications and national innovation policy.

Andrew Tillett writes on politics, foreign affairs, defence and security from the Canberra press gallery.

Tom Richardson was a journalist at The Australian Financial Review