Windows pain: Glitch knocks out IT service worldwide. Locally, it's more of a nuisance.

A glitch that caused a worldwide technology outage is being treated more as a nuisance than a cyberattack, according to the company from where the issues arose.

Locally and across Virginia, the impact of that outage appears to be mixed. Gov. Glenn Youngkin said an initial assessment found “critical health and safety systems ... are operational” but certain systems within state government are experiencing what he called “significant disruptions.

“We are coordinating with local, regional and federal authorities and private sector critical infrastructure partners in order to reestablish normal operations,” Youngkin said in a statement released by his office Friday morning. “As a result of the administrative disturbances, Virginians may experience delays and we ask everyone to remain patient as we work to remedy and reestablish the high standards that Virginians deserve.”

The glitch caused the state Department of Motor Vehicles to close its customer service centers, according to the department's social media.

CrowdStrike, a U.S.-based cybersecurity firm, said the issue stemmed from a defect in a recent content update that disrupted the Microsoft Windows operating system. Because Windows has an approximately 70% market share of desktop systems worldwide, that defect spread quickly.

In a statement, CrowdStrike said the problem was immediately isolated “and a fix has been deployed.” However, residual effects from the outage were expected to hamper normal computer usage for the time being.

The company said it ruled out “a security incident or cyberattack.”

Airlines and banks were among the most impacted businesses. Hundreds of flights worldwide were grounded, according to USA TODAY.

In Petersburg, the glitch was hampering business at city agencies that deal with the state regularly, such as the registrar’s office and the Department of Social Services. Everything else, including emergency communication, was operating normally.

“Our 911 service is working fine. No issues reported,” Petersburg Police deputy chief Emanuel Chambliss told The Progress-Index.

Petersburg spokesperson Joanne Williams confirmed no issues with the city’s system.

The glitch prompted hospitals across the nation to postpone some non-emergency procedures. It was not immediately clear how it affected Bon Secours Southside Medical Center in Petersburg or HCA’s TriCities Hospital in Hopewell.

Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @BAtkinson_PI.

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Local service not severely affected by CrowdStrike outage