Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike has provided an update on the global IT outage that occurred on Friday, stating that a significant number of impacted devices are now back online. The company, whose faulty security update caused Microsoft Windows computers to crash worldwide, continues to focus on restoring all systems.
Microsoft has estimated that the incident affected 8.5 million computers globally, making it one of the worst IT outages in history. Businesses, banks, hospitals, and airlines were among the worst-hit sectors, with some still struggling to fully recover their systems.
CrowdStrike has expressed its understanding of the profound impact the outage has had on everyone and has apologized for the disruption caused. The firm is deploying a new fix to expedite the recovery of computer systems, although the exact number of devices still impacted has not been disclosed.
The outage led to the cancellation of more than 1,400 flights in and out of the US on Sunday, with Delta and United Airlines being the most affected. Health services in Britain, Israel, and Germany were also impacted, resulting in some services being cancelled.
The incident has highlighted the vulnerability of global computer networks, emphasizing how a single glitch can lead to widespread chaos across various industries. Lina Khan, Chair of the US Federal Trade Commission, commented on the fragility of concentrated systems in the wake of such incidents.
Despite being a trusted brand in the cybersecurity industry, CrowdStrike’s reputation has been tarnished by the outage. The company serves 29,000 customers worldwide, including major US corporations, but China remained largely unaffected as CrowdStrike is not widely used in the country and China is less reliant on Microsoft compared to other regions.
