Software Update Causes Global Disruptions in Banking and Airlines

A software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike caused significant disruptions globally, affecting banking services from Capitec Bank and Absa, as well as airline operations including Airlink and South African Airways. The affected services have now been restored, and companies have reassured customers of data security.

South African lenders Capitec Bank and Absa, along with airline Airlink, have fully restored services after experiencing disruptions early on Friday due to a software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike that caused global systems issues.

Capitec Bank reported significant disruptions but reassured clients that their bank accounts and personal data were secure and unaffected. Absa Group confirmed its digital banking channels, point-of-sale services, and ATMs are functional, with limited impact on customer services.

Airlines faced similar issues; South African Airways experienced intermittent technical outages, leading to longer hold times for customers, while Airlink's flights continued to run on schedule despite the IT network outage. Airports Company South Africa reported that their operations remained unaffected as they do not use CrowdStrike services.

(With inputs from agencies.)