LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — Two separate technology disruptions this week caused major delays and interruptions for thousands of people across the country, raising questions about how dependent businesses and critical services have become on technology.
A disruption to Microsoft’s services Thursday affected email and other online services, followed by a nationwide Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ground stop Friday after a temporary communications outage affected air traffic controllers.
Although the incidents were unrelated, experts say both highlight the vulnerabilities that can arise when critical systems fail.
Cybersecurity expert Dr. Mack Jackson Jr. says Thursday’s disruption is an example of how infrastructure failures can affect businesses and consumers, even without a cyberattack.
“This gives a great example of what could happen when there is an issue that can happen that doesn’t necessarily have to be a cyber attack. It can actually be a failure in the actual infrastructure,” Jackson said.
Microsoft officials said the disruption was not caused by a cyberattack. Jackson says the incident also underscores the risks businesses face when relying heavily on third-parties.
He explained that an overwhelming demand on technology infrastructure can contribute to service disruptions, potentially affecting companies that depend on outside vendors to store data and maintain essential operations.
“If a third party vendor says we have your data and we have it protected, if that third party goes out of business, so does your business,” Jackson said.
He recommends that businesses develop backup plans and consider how they would continue operating if their technology systems or service providers suddenly became unavailable.
“We have all heard of a ‘Plan B.’ Well, we must have a ‘Plan B’ and a ‘Plan C’ just in case something were to happen, and this is a great example of that,” Jackson added.
A similar concern applies to the nation’s aviation system.
Dan Bubb, a UNLV Honors College professor, former airline pilot and commercial aviation historian, says the FAA ground stop highlights the need to modernize aging technology used to manage air traffic.
“We still use a lot of antiquated equipment in our air traffic control system,” Bubb said.
Friday’s nationwide ground stop lasted about five hours after the FAA reported a temporary communications outage affecting air traffic controllers.
Bubb says the rare disruption serves as another warning about the vulnerabilities of the nation’s air traffic infrastructure. Noting the nationwide ground stops of this kind have occurred only twice before, in the immediate aftermath of the September 11 attacks and during a brief disruption in 2023.
“It’s another wake-up call that we need to very seriously look at our air traffic system and figure out what we are going to do going forward to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again,” Bubb said.
He says upgrading the system should be a priority to prevent similar disruptions in the future.
“It really underscores to me the need for us to really upgrade our air traffic system, because, like I said, we are still using antiquated technology and we need to move on,” Bubb added.
Although the FAA has since lifted the nationwide ground stop, Bubb says it could take several days for airline operations to fully return to normal.
Airlines must not only rebook affected passengers but also reposition flight crews, potentially prolonging delays.
Source: komonews.com
