Delta Airlines has launched a sharp critique against cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, accusing it of negligence in a recent letter, and claiming a $500 million loss due to a major network outage last month. The outage, which began on July 19, disrupted services for millions of travelers and led to widespread flight cancellations, including approximately 7,000 flights over a five-day period.
Delta’s frustration comes as it grapples with a class-action lawsuit from affected passengers and an ongoing investigation by the US Department of Transportation. The airline has attributed the disruption to a corrupted software update issued by CrowdStrike, which it contends was responsible for the initial system failures. CrowdStrike has rejected these claims, stating that issues persisted with Delta’s operations even after other airlines had resolved their outages.
The glitch was part of a broader incident that impacted an estimated 8.5 million Windows devices globally, according to Microsoft. While Delta’s network issues continued, other carriers were able to resume normal operations. This discrepancy has fueled Delta’s blame on both CrowdStrike and Microsoft, with Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressing his discontent in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, emphasizing the severe impact on 1.3 million customers.
CrowdStrike has promised to “defend itself aggressively” against any legal action from Delta. The company accused Delta of pushing a “misleading narrative,” arguing that the airline’s outdated IT infrastructure might have compounded the issue. Microsoft has also denied responsibility, asserting that Delta’s infrastructure was outdated compared to other airlines, which may have exacerbated the impact of the outage.
In its response, Delta’s attorney, David Boies, refuted suggestions that Delta was to blame, emphasizing the airline’s substantial investment in technology and its reliance on CrowdStrike and Microsoft. The letter criticized the assertion that Delta’s systems were at fault, labeling it as unfounded.
Amidst these legal battles, Delta faces its own set of challenges. The class-action lawsuit claims that Delta’s flight cancellations were disproportionately high compared to other US airlines and accuses the airline of inadequate passenger compensation and unfair waiver demands.
The incident has also led to legal action against CrowdStrike from its shareholders, who allege that the company made false and misleading statements about its software testing procedures. CrowdStrike has denied these allegations as well.
As the legal and financial repercussions of the outage unfold, the conflict between Delta, CrowdStrike, and Microsoft continues to escalate, with each party positioning itself for a protracted legal and public relations battle.
