A problematic software update is causing ICT outages globally for businesses using Microsoft Windows on their computers. Many affected systems are experiencing the infamous “blue screen of death,” one of the most severe issues for Windows computers.
The issue appears to have significantly impacted airlines and banks, likely because their service delays are highly visible, prompting frustrated customers to voice complaints on social media.
Other impacted sectors include telecommunications, insurance companies, and any organization that prioritizes security on employee computers enough to spend upwards of $50 annually per computer.
The update, released by the cloud-based security software company CrowdStrike for its product “Falcon,” has been identified as the cause. CrowdStrike acknowledged the problem on its website, stating:
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“CrowdStrike is actively working with customers impacted by a defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts. Mac and Linux hosts are not impacted. This is not a security incident or cyberattack…”
Local cybersecurity expert Tawenga Toronga, CTO at Procomm Technologies, noted that regional companies using CrowdStrike might have been affected:
“We have worked with some companies regionally that use CrowdStrike and they would likely have been affected by this. CrowdStrike provides state-of-the-art cloud-based endpoint security software, and due to its high cost, it is typically used in local branches of large multinational companies.”
Such an issue from a major security firm like CrowdStrike was unexpected, highlighting the need for companies to consider supply chain risks. Significant revenue was lost today due to the outage, but fortunately, a fix has already been issued.
Microsoft has acknowledged the problem but clarified that it is not their fault. They advised affected users to reboot multiple times to resolve the issues:
“We have been made aware of an issue impacting Virtual Machines running Windows Client and Windows Server, with the CrowdStrike Falcon agent, which may encounter a bug check (BSOD) and get stuck in a restarting state. We estimate the impact began around 19:00 UTC on July 18.
We’ve received feedback from customers that several reboots (as many as 15 have been reported) may be required, but overall feedback is that reboots are an effective troubleshooting step at this stage.
We recommend customers, where possible, restore from a backup from before 19:00 UTC on July 18.”
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