Airlines, banks, and retailers around the world were among them Many businesses have stopped Friday due to a faulty software update that caused massive delays and service disruptions
According to CrowdStrike, the Texas-based cybersecurity firm behind the flaw, the problem is caused by a faulty update to its software for Microsoft Windows users, which it is actively working to fix. Mac and Linux users are not affected.
“This is not a security incident or a cyber attack,” said CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz. Emphasis is placed on a post by X, formerly known as Twitter. Kurtz added that solutions to the problem had already been “deployed,” but noted in one CNBC interview It may take “some time” before it works for everyone experiencing the outage.
While people wait for a solution, thousands around the world are struggling with long waits at airports and trains, problems logging into their bank accounts and challenges reaching key services, including first responders.
The technical glitch spotlights how central these systems have become to everyday activities, including travel and financial transactions, and how vulnerable they can be to simple human error.
what happened
Early Friday morning, as businesses from Europe to Asia to the United States began experiencing problems with their Microsoft computer systems, many suddenly saw the dreaded “blue screen of death”: an error page that signals a Windows machine is down.
Since then, a wide range of services have been affected in what cybersecurity expert Troy Hunt described. As “the largest IT outage in history”.
More than 2,000 flights have been cancelled At numerous airports. American Airlines, Delta, and United were just a few of the major operators forced to ground their flights worldwide. For the Friday portion.
A stunning graphic by Colin McCarthy, an atmospheric science student at UC Davis, captures how flight traffic slowed considerably in the wake of the technical snafu. Passengers at numerous airports Document the chaos When the computer was down, and little information about updates or alternatives was available.
Beyond the travel hiccups it caused, the software issue led to hospitalizations Cancellation of elective surgery, 911 operators are experiencing problemsAnd Banks are unable to provide customer information online.
How did it happen?
“The issue was caused by Microsoft’s Windows operating system finding a flaw in a single content update of its software,” Kurtz wrote in X. Verge notesIt appears the company is trying to update a driver on its Falcon offering, a cloud-based product that scans for potential hackers.
Falcon requires deep access to a computer’s system to function effectively, meaning any problem with it can have serious consequences, as happened this week.
What is CrowdStrike?
CrowdStrike is an Austin, Texas-based cybersecurity firm that develops software to detect and prevent hacking threats. Its products are used by approximately 29,000 companies worldwide, including hospitals, banks and numerous Fortune 500 companies.
It previously helped look into violations by Sony as well as the Democratic National Committee.
How did CrowdStrike become so important?
Founded in 2011, CrowdStrike quickly became an industry leader in cybersecurity and has grown in popularity in recent years as demand for such services has increased.
It created a Aggressive marketing push That included Super Bowl ads and worked to tailor its products to the needs of large organizations with complex security. at least A 2023 analysis, From CanalisThe company controls about 20 percent of the cybersecurity market.
Reviews for company products has been largely positive in the past, describing them as user-friendly and accurate at finding threats. According to Motley Fool, Its stock has risen 400 percent over the past five years.
When will the outage be fixed?
Kurtz, CrowdStrike’s CEO, emphasized that the team has identified the problem and is working to fix it, though it may take more time to restore some systems.
The company has already worked to roll back the update, he noted, meaning certain companies may be able to fix the problem by simply rebooting their systems. For others who couldn’t fix the problem this way, “It could be hours, it could be a little longer,” Kurtz told CNBC. something Cyber security experts say “A little longer” can mean days.
Some systems may require a manual update, for example, though Kurtz noted that the company is working to automate those solutions as much as possible.
