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What We Know
A faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike knocked airlines, hospitals, news outlets, and many businesses off of the grid on Friday, in a malfunction felt around the world. Although the outage was the result of company error, not a cyberattack, the event was a stark reminder of the fragility of a digitally dependent world. While the issue has largely been resolved, many airlines are still reeling from the outage and the aftereffects are already beginning to appear in consumer sentiment and behavior.
Join the Conversation: To what extent has Friday’s internet outage affected you personally?
What We’re Seeing
CivicScience gauged how Americans were impacted by the global internet outage immediately after it was reported and continued tracking its effects through the weekend . Here are key insights to know:
- The impact of the outage was substantial, with CivicScience data showing 26% of U.S. adults were impacted by the global internet outage.
- The outage hit Americans across the country. Gen Z Americans (aged 18-24) and those in the U.S. South and West were impacted most strongly.
- Thirty-five percent of U.S. adults who were flying at the time said their flights were disrupted as a result of the outage, with the largest percentage of impacted consumers en route to vacation destinations.
What We Can Learn
It’s likely that the outage struck a chord, as 3-in-4 Americans indicate that they are ‘somewhat’ (40%) or ‘very’ (35%) concerned about the safety of internet infrastructure in the United Staes. ‘Always-on’ polling suggests how growing concerns could shape consumer behavior moving forward:
- Those most concerned about the safety of internet infrastructure in the U.S. are the most likely to change their internet provider in the months ahead.
- Consumers most concerned about internet security are also the most likely to pay for a home security system, such as Ring. Future outages may effect the wi-fi enabled home security device market.
- However, people who do most of their banking online were less impacted by the outage than those who use online banking less frequently, raising the question of how much consumers perceive their individual security to be in jeopardy. In fact, those who never do their banking online express the greatest concern for internet infrastructure.
- Internet security concerns people on both sides of the aisle, but Republicans are more likely to be ‘very’ concerned (36%) compared to Democrats (30%).
What to Take Away
The global internet outage impacted a substantial number of Americans and businesses. As the shockwaves are being absorbed, everyone from internet providers to home security companies to banks can benefit by understanding the impact it’s having on consumers.
Take Our Poll: How worried are you, if at all, about a large-scale internet outage?