How CrowdStrike Stopped Everything
On July 19, 2024, a CrowdStrike software update caused a global IT outage affecting 8.5 million Windows devices, disrupting essential services and highlighting vulnerabilities in modern interconnected systems.
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On July 19, 2024, a significant global IT outage caused by a software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike rendered millions of Windows computers inoperable, disrupting essential services across various sectors. The incident was triggered by a mismatch in input fields during a content update to the CrowdStrike Falcon Windows Sensor, leading to system crashes and the infamous Blue Screen of Death (BSOD). The outage affected approximately 8.5 million devices, impacting hospitals, airlines, emergency services, and everyday applications, resulting in canceled surgeries, grounded flights, and inaccessible emergency call centers. Experts noted that while such outages are difficult to prevent entirely, their effects could be mitigated through improved system resilience and better software deployment practices. The incident also highlighted vulnerabilities in data management, as critical information was lost during the downtime, and it provided opportunities for cybercriminals to exploit the situation through phishing attempts. The CrowdStrike outage serves as a reminder of the interconnectedness of modern systems and the potential consequences of IT failures.
- A software update from CrowdStrike caused a global IT outage affecting millions of Windows devices.
- The outage disrupted critical services, including healthcare, transportation, and emergency response.
- Experts emphasize the need for improved resilience and better software deployment practices to mitigate future outages.
- The incident resulted in lost data and increased phishing attempts by cybercriminals.
- The event underscores the vulnerabilities in modern interconnected systems and their potential impact on society.
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6 commentsAnd I am a bit ashamed to say, the panic from users users who could not get to Office 365 or their Windows PC cannot boot still brings a bit of a smile to my face. I think there is a German word for this :)
A relative worked from my house for those days because their internet was also broken. We worked for 2 different companies, me on a Linux Workstation, him on Windows 11 spending time with his help desk with me "translating".
One lesson learned, the Help Desk people should be trained to avoid Tech Words when dealing with people who's workflow is just Email and Excel. Both the Help Desk and my relative had nothing but a high level of frustration dealing with each other.
> The root cause analysis (RCA) means that a CrowdStrike programmer(s) did not check their inputs before pushing an update to the CrowdStrike Falcon Windows Sensor in production.
How is it this isn’t just automated and / or that update automatically run in a VM or something and when it crashed the rollout prevented?
It’s not a new concept…
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