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
Mga Kaugnay na Asset
Pinakabagong Balita
Disclaimer: Ang mga kabilang sa XM Group ay nagbibigay lang ng serbisyo sa pagpapatupad at pag-access sa aming Online Trading Facility, kung saan pinapahintulutan nito ang pagtingin at/o paggamit sa nilalaman na makikita sa website o sa pamamagitan nito, at walang layuning palitan o palawigin ito, at hindi din ito papalitan o papalawigin. Ang naturang pag-access at paggamit ay palaging alinsunod sa: (i) Mga Tuntunin at Kundisyon; (ii) Mga Babala sa Risk; at (iii) Kabuuang Disclaimer. Kaya naman ang naturang nilalaman ay ituturing na pangkalahatang impormasyon lamang. Mangyaring isaalang-alang na ang mga nilalaman ng aming Online Trading Facility ay hindi paglikom, o alok, para magsagawa ng anumang transaksyon sa mga pinansyal na market. Ang pag-trade sa alinmang pinansyal na market ay nagtataglay ng mataas na lebel ng risk sa iyong kapital.
Lahat ng materyales na nakalathala sa aming Online Trading Facility ay nakalaan para sa layuning edukasyonal/pang-impormasyon lamang at hindi naglalaman – at hindi dapat ituring bilang naglalaman – ng payo at rekomendasyon na pangpinansyal, tungkol sa buwis sa pag-i-invest, o pang-trade, o tala ng aming presyo sa pag-trade, o alok para sa, o paglikom ng, transaksyon sa alinmang pinansyal na instrument o hindi ginustong pinansyal na promosyon.
Sa anumang nilalaman na galing sa ikatlong partido, pati na ang mga nilalaman na inihanda ng XM, ang mga naturang opinyon, balita, pananaliksik, pag-analisa, presyo, ibang impormasyon o link sa ibang mga site na makikita sa website na ito ay ibibigay tulad ng nandoon, bilang pangkalahatang komentaryo sa market at hindi ito nagtataglay ng payo sa pag-i-invest. Kung ang alinmang nilalaman nito ay itinuring bilang pananaliksik sa pag-i-invest, kailangan mong isaalang-alang at tanggapin na hindi ito inilaan at inihanda alinsunod sa mga legal na pangangailangan na idinisenyo para maisulong ang pagsasarili ng pananaliksik sa pag-i-invest, at dahil dito ituturing ito na komunikasyon sa marketing sa ilalim ng mga kaugnay na batas at regulasyon. Mangyaring siguruhin na nabasa at naintindihan mo ang aming Notipikasyon sa Hindi Independyenteng Pananaliksik sa Pag-i-invest at Babala sa Risk na may kinalaman sa impormasyong nakalagay sa itaas, na maa-access dito.
