Cybersecurity expert says Microsoft outage shows importance of preparedness

BALTIMORE -- BWI Marshall Airport experienced a nightmare travel day for thousands of people on Friday due to a global tech outage.

The technical issues are linked to CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity company providing antivirus software to Microsoft Windows devices. 

The outage affected 29,000 customers across more than 170 countries. Among those affected were major airlines like American, Delta, United, Spirit, and Frontier Airlines, causing them to pause operations and ground flights.

Stranded air travelers expressed their concern over the outage.

"It's kind of scary. Very scary," said Joyce, a traveler at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport.

A.C. Mitchell, another traveler, emphasized the importance of cybersecurity. 

"This is kind of a touch point to show how important cyber is and the security. I think the interesting thing is CrowdStrike is a cybersecurity company themselves and it can kind of show, when all of these players are embedded with them, when they go down we all go down," Mitchell said.

A cybersecurity expert noted the significance of this incident, despite it not being a cyberattack.

"Whether or not our technologies are impacted through a cyber attack or a software update, we have now all seen the impact and consequences of such a disruption," said Markus Rauschecker, a cybersecurity expert with the University of Maryland Center for Health and Homeland Security.

Rauschecker stressed the need for preparedness.

"The bottom line is every organization, every kind of entity, needs to have a plan in place because the question is not if something like this is going to happen again, but when. And when another incident happens, you have to be prepared," Rauschecker said.

The Department of Transportation has set up a database to show which airlines cover meals, hotels, and provide free rebooking for major delays and cancellations. 

You can find that database at FlightRights.gov.