CrowdStrike Says Delta Ignored Support During IT Failures

CrowdStrike has issued a strong rebuttal to Delta Air Lines following the airline's CEO, Ed Bastian, attributing a $500 million loss to the cybersecurity firm’s software issues. In a letter from CrowdStrike’s legal counsel, the firm expressed disappointment over Delta's claims of negligence and misconduct, asserting that Delta must address its own IT failures in any potential litigation. The letter emphasized that Delta had previously declined CrowdStrike's offers for assistance during a significant service outage that disrupted operations for nearly a week. CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz personally reached out to Bastian to offer support, but the airline reportedly indicated that no help was needed. The cybersecurity firm criticized Delta's public statements, suggesting they misrepresented the situation and implied that CrowdStrike was responsible for Delta's operational decisions during the crisis. The letter highlighted that if Delta pursues legal action, it would need to justify its own response to the outage, especially in light of other airlines that managed to restore operations more swiftly. The incident, which began on July 19, was linked to a flawed software update from CrowdStrike, affecting Delta and numerous other companies globally. While Delta canceled approximately 30% of its flights, leaving many passengers stranded, CrowdStrike noted that its liability is contractually limited to millions, a point that may play a crucial role in any forthcoming legal disputes. Delta has not yet filed a lawsuit and has refrained from further comment, directing inquiries to Bastian's previous statements.