Microsoft meltdown by CrowdStrike update leaves businesses in chaos
Our error caused the global malfunction of Microsoft's operating system, not a cyberattack - stated CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz on Friday. An expert quoted by Reuters estimates that the problem cannot be resolved remotely, and the repair may take several days.
9:17 AM EDT, July 19, 2024
Kurtz said in a statement that an error in updating CrowdStrike's Falcon program on devices using the Windows operating system caused the malfunction. Affected computers display a blue background, known in IT jargon as the blue screen of death.
The problem was detected relatively early - on Friday around 1:30 AM Eastern Time, CrowdStrike sent an alert to users with instructions on how to fix the problem themselves. However, according to Omer Grossman, head of IT at the cybersecurity firm CyberArk, quoted by Reuters, the repair of the malfunction's effects may take several days.
The damage is dramatic
Reuters emphasized that the effects of the malfunction are felt worldwide because thousands of companies store data in the cloud, and both Microsoft and CrowdStrike are very popular.
The damage to business processes at the global level is dramatic - assessed Grossman.
CrowdStrike's software, used by many companies, is designed to detect and block cyber threats, such as hacking attacks. The program requires access to the computer's operating system, which it protects. Friday's malfunction occurred due to an error in the Falcon program update, which blocked the computer when combined with the Windows operating system, causing the blue screen to appear.
CrowdStrike gained worldwide recognition when it discovered that Russian hackers stole thousands of emails from the Democratic National Committee's servers during the 2016 US presidential election campaign. The company sells its programs globally and serves hundreds of companies from various industries.
