Microsoft blames Delta for its struggle to recover from global cyber outage
Adds Delta's comments, more background details
By Rajesh Kumar Singh
CHICAGO, Aug 6 (Reuters) -Microsoft MSFT.O blamed Delta Air Lines DAL.N on Tuesday for its dayslong struggle to recover from a global cyber outage that led it to cancel more than 6,000 flights.
A software update last month by global cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike CRWD.O triggered system problems for Microsoft customers, including many airlines. But disruptions subsided the next day at other major U.S. carriers while persisting at Delta.
Microsoft said its preliminary review suggested that Delta, unlike its competitors, apparently had not modernized its IT infrastructure.
Delta, however, said it has invested billions of dollars in IT capital expenditures since 2016, in addition to the billions it spends every year in IT operating costs.
"Delta has a long track record of investing in safe, reliable and elevated service for our customers and employees," a company spokesperson said.
The flight disruptions stranded hundreds of thousands of travelers and are estimated to cost the Atlanta-based airline $500 million. Delta is also facing an investigation from the U.S. Transportation Department for the disruptions.
It has hired prominent litigator David Boies of Boies Schiller Flexner, known for high-stakes business cases, to seek damages from both CrowdStrike and Microsoft.
Last week, Delta's CEO Ed Bastian told CNBC that while the airline heavily relies on the two tech companies, they had failed to deliver an "exceptional service." In the interview, he also said that Microsoft had the "most fragile platform."
In a letter, Mark Cheffo, a lawyer for Microsoft, called the airline's comments "incomplete, false, misleading, and damaging to Microsoft and its reputation."
Cheffo said Microsoft's software had not caused the CrowdStrike incident, but the tech giant immediately offered to assist Delta at no charge. Its CEO Satya Nadella emailed Bastian, but never got a reply, he added.
Microsoft said its employees repeatedly offered to help Delta following the outage, but the U.S. carrier turned them down. It accused the airline of using services of other technology providers for its crew-tracking and scheduling system and alleged it as a likely reason for declining its help.
Cheffo said Microsoft will "vigorously" defend itself if Delta files a lawsuit.
CrowdStrike has also rejected Delta's claim that it should be blamed for flight disruptions. The cybersecurity firm said its CEO had personally reached out to Bastian to offer onsite assistance, but received no response.
Reporting by Rajesh Kumar Singh; Additional reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Franklin Paul and Josie Kao
Activos relacionados
Últimas noticias
Descargo de responsabilidades: Cada una de las entidades de XM Group proporciona un servicio de solo ejecución y acceso a nuestra plataforma de trading online, permitiendo a una persona ver o usar el contenido disponible en o a través del sitio web, sin intención de cambiarlo ni ampliarlo. Dicho acceso y uso están sujetos en todo momento a: (i) Términos y Condiciones; (ii) Advertencias de riesgo; y (iii) Descargo completo de responsabilidades. Por lo tanto, dicho contenido se proporciona exclusivamente como información general. En particular, por favor tenga en cuenta que, los contenidos de nuestra plataforma de trading online no son ni solicitud ni una oferta para entrar a realizar transacciones en los mercados financieros. Operar en cualquier mercado financiero implica un nivel de riesgo significativo para su capital.
Todo el material publicado en nuestra plataforma de trading online tiene únicamente fines educativos/informativos y no contiene –y no debe considerarse que contenga– asesoramiento ni recomendaciones financieras, tributarias o de inversión, ni un registro de nuestros precios de trading, ni una oferta ni solicitud de transacción con instrumentos financieros ni promociones financieras no solicitadas.
Cualquier contenido de terceros, así como el contenido preparado por XM, como por ejemplo opiniones, noticias, investigaciones, análisis, precios, otras informaciones o enlaces a sitios de terceros que figuran en este sitio web se proporcionan “tal cual”, como comentarios generales del mercado y no constituyen un asesoramiento en materia de inversión. En la medida en que cualquier contenido se interprete como investigación de inversión, usted debe tener en cuenta y aceptar que dicho contenido no fue concebido ni elaborado de acuerdo con los requisitos legales diseñados para promover la independencia en materia de investigación de inversiones y, por tanto, se considera como una comunicación comercial en virtud de las leyes y regulaciones pertinentes. Por favor, asegúrese de haber leído y comprendido nuestro Aviso sobre investigación de inversión no independiente y advertencia de riesgo en relación con la información anterior, al que se puede acceder aquí.