Global Tech Outage Linked to CrowdStrike Update Affects 8.5 Million Microsoft Devices
A global tech outage caused by a software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike impacted nearly 8.5 million Microsoft devices, according to a blog post by Microsoft on Saturday.
The blog stated, “We currently estimate that CrowdStrike’s update affected 8.5 million Windows devices, or less than one percent of all Windows machines.”
The update from CrowdStrike, a major player in the cybersecurity industry, resulted in significant system issues that disrupted flights, forced broadcasters off air, and left customers without access to essential services such as healthcare and banking.
Microsoft noted, “While the percentage was small, the broad economic and societal impacts reflect the use of CrowdStrike by enterprises that run many critical services.”
To address the situation, CrowdStrike has developed a solution to expedite repairs for Microsoft’s Azure infrastructure. Microsoft also mentioned it is collaborating with Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform, sharing information about the widespread effects of the outage.
The air travel industry was in recovery mode on Saturday after the outage led to the cancellation of thousands of flights, causing significant delays and leaving passengers stranded. Delta Air Lines, one of the hardest-hit airlines, reported over 600 flight cancellations as of 10 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT) on Saturday, with further cancellations anticipated.
Source: Reuters
