Paris Olympics Hit by Global Tech Outage

The Paris Olympics organizing committee reported a global cyber outage affecting their operations, though ticket sales and venue preparations remain unaffected. The outage, linked to cybersecurity firms CrowdStrike and Microsoft, also impacted several other sectors, necessitating manual security checks and postponed accreditations.

The Paris Olympics organizing committee has announced that a global cyber outage is impacting its operations, although ticket sales remain unaffected a week before the Games commence. The issue is linked to global cybersecurity firms CrowdStrike and Microsoft, affecting various sectors, including airports, airlines, media, and banks.

'Currently, the impacts are limited, primarily affecting the delivery of uniforms and accreditations,' said the Paris 2024 organizing committee. They are coordinating with those affected to reschedule visits to accreditation centers. 'Ticketing systems are operational, and venue preparations are continuing as planned, including the torch relay.'

At the Games' press center, security checks were conducted manually due to the outage, and the accreditation desk was closed, according to a Reuters report. 'I arrived in Paris this morning and was told I couldn't get my accreditation validated,' said Wilson Catton of Sky Sports New Zealand. The Paris Olympics Organizing Committee Chairman, Tony Estanguet, expressed hope that Microsoft would resolve the issue rapidly.