A widespread cyber issue has impacted Microsoft customers globally, including those in South Africa. The outage is linked to an antivirus software update from cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike, which has caused significant disruptions.
Users of Windows operating systems have reported experiencing the infamous Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) due to this issue. In South Africa, the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) has noted that the FTSE indices are not updating. A statement from the JSE advises clients to trade cautiously while the issue is being resolved.
On the MyBroadBand forum, users mentioned that at least one major insurer has been affected by the outage. South Africa’s largest bank by customer numbers, Capitec, also experienced a disruption due to the problems associated with Crowdstrike. Capitec has since restored all its banking services.
“Since early this morning, clients have faced difficulties accessing various banking services, including online banking, mobile app transactions, and card payments,” stated Capitec. “Our tech team has worked quickly to resolve the problem — we are pleased to report that all our banking has now been fully restored.”
Capitec assured its customers that their bank accounts and personal details were not compromised during the incident. “Client service remains our top priority, and we deeply regret the severe impact this disruption has had on your banking experience. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused and appreciate your patience and understanding during this challenging time,” the bank added.
Globally, the cyber outage has affected various sectors, including banks, media outlets, emergency services, government departments, and airlines. Microsoft has acknowledged the issue and is working on resolving it, noting that the impacted services include, but are not limited to, several of their offerings.
