Delta Air Lines submitted a lawsuit against cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike over a global IT outage that caused serious flight disruption for the airliner.
Back in July, a failed software update provided by CrowdStrike caused devices with the Windows operating system to crash across the globe and impacted all sectors, including aviation, healthcare, and banks.
Delta was particularly hit hard by the outage, having to cancel approximately 7,000 flights. The event caused disturbance for 1.3 million passengers and came at $500 million in damages for Delta.
According to Delta’s lawsuit, CrowdStrike is liable for those damages due to failure to test the update prior to releasing it. It also asks for unspecified compensation for lost profit and reputation damage.
“Because the faulty update could not be removed remotely, CrowdStrike crippled Delta’s business and created immense delays for Delta customers,” Delta said in the lawsuit.
CrowdStrike, on the other hand, argues that the impact of faulty update had a more serious impact on Delta due to the airliner’s outdated IT infrastructure.
“Delta’s claims are based on disproven misinformation, demonstrate a lack of understanding of how modern cybersecurity works, and reflect a desperate attempt to shift blame for its slow recovery away from its failure to modernize its antiquated IT infrastructure,” CrowdStrike said in a statement.