London, UK – A major IT outage has disrupted industries worldwide, leading to the cancellation of nearly 1,400 flights and affecting banking, healthcare, and retail sectors. The cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike identified a “defect” in one of its software updates as the cause, impacting Windows operating systems.

While a fix has been deployed, Crowdstrike cautioned that it “could be some time” before systems are fully restored. In the UK, the majority of GP surgeries are facing significant issues, according to the NHS. The outages have also impacted trains, shops, and pharmacies across the country.

Efforts are ongoing to mitigate the disruptions and restore normal operations as quickly as possible.