On 19th July the world faces the biggest IT outage in history, questioning our dependencies on technology and one provider. The “blue screen” typical of Microsoft error put us all in question whether we are all hacked by a global cyberattack.
For hours people were in confusion and distress with large-scale impact experienced in Airports, Banks, Media, Hospitals, etc.Moreover, the arlines went back to the offline age, offering handwritten boarding passes. Delays were unavoidable and blocked payments in banks created havoc.
What Happened?
The sky of confusion was cleared when CrowdStrike took responsibility for this IT outage. They said, “The outage was caused by a defect found in a Falcon content update for Windows hosts.”
Besides, it happened as a part of ongoing update operations. This global cybersecurity company launched a sensor configuration update for all Windows systems.
While this sensor was intended to protect the Falcon platform. However, this update triggered a logic error. And the Windows system globally crashed and started showing a blue screen (BSOD). As this update was only for Windows, Mac and Linux were not impacted.
Fortunately, Crowdstrike, a globally renowned cybersecurity company, showed a quick response to this error in the antivirus update. And the CEO George Kurtz said, “The sensor configuration update that caused the system crash was remediated on Friday, July 19, 2024, 05:27 UTC.”
However, full restoration will take some time, they said:
“We are working closely with impacted customers and partners to ensure that all systems are restored so you can deliver the services customers rely on.”
Impact of IT Outage
This IT outage impacted all the customers across the globe who were running Falcon sensors for Windows version 7.11 and all the versions above it. The blue screen caused widespread global inconvenience and loss.
Major institutions such as Airlines, Media, and Financial institutions were hit heavily. Many flights were canceled or rescheduled and delays are even expected today.
Moreover, Media giants like Britain’s Sky News and Australia’s ABC reported major inconveniences. But Britain’s Sky News said the Microsoft Outage ended on the 20th July 2024 morning.
Additionally, Stock Market also saw a downtrend. CrowdStrike has a market cap of around $83 billion with around 3000 global subscribers. But it fell to 74.22 billion USD on Saturday.
Is it a Cyberattack?
Everyone wondered if it was some kind of global Cyberattack. But the cybersecurity company, CrowdStrike assured that “This issue is not the result of or related to a cyberattack.”
Moreover, they warned us against exploits and attacks.
They said-
“We know that adversaries and bad actors will try to exploit events like this. I encourage everyone to remain vigilant and ensure that you’re engaging with official CrowdStrike representatives. Our blog and technical support will continue to be the official channels for the latest updates.”
Key Pointers of IT Outage
- The “Blue Screen Of Death” on Microsoft windows Outage becomes a terror for everyone.
- Microsoft and CrowdStrike have taken the issue under control.
- It was caused by an error in the Falcon System Update update.
- Airlines, Health, and Media institutions were heavily affected.
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