Priya PatelTLDR:
- A global IT outage at McDonald’s was caused by a third-party error during a configuration change
- No suspicion of a cyber attack was reported
An IT outage that affected McDonald’s operations in multiple countries was traced back to a configuration error made by a third-party provider. The issues first surfaced in Australia and spread to the UK, leading to the temporary closure of outlets and disrupted online ordering. McDonald’s global CIO confirmed that the outage was not due to a cyber security event and that measures were quickly taken to resolve the issue. Despite the widespread impact, the chain assured employees and customers of their commitment to prioritizing the reliability and stability of their technology.
In addition to the UK, McDonald’s operations in other countries like Austria, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, and the US were also affected by the outage. While the exact nature of the error was not disclosed, it was clarified that the problem was unrelated to a migration to Google Cloud that the company had announced previously. Competitors like Burger King took the opportunity to comment on the situation, while customers and employees shared their experiences and frustrations on social media platforms.
Overall, the incident highlighted the importance of addressing IT outages promptly and efficiently to minimize disruptions and maintain customer satisfaction. The incident serves as a reminder for businesses to ensure the resilience and stability of their technology infrastructure to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
