In the aftermath of a global IT outage on Friday, cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike has reported that “a significant number” of affected devices are now back online. This comes as a relief to businesses, banks, hospitals, and airlines worldwide that experienced disruptions due to the incident.
The outage, caused by a faulty security update from CrowdStrike, led to the crash of Microsoft Windows computers globally. In a social media post, CrowdStrike emphasized that it is continuing efforts to restore all systems fully. Microsoft has estimated that the outage impacted 8.5 million computers, marking it as one of the worst IT outages in history.
CrowdStrike’s statement acknowledged the severe impact of the incident: “We understand the profound impact this has had on everyone. We know our customers, partners, and their IT teams are working tirelessly and we’re profoundly grateful. We apologize for the disruption this has created.” The company is also deploying a new fix aimed at accelerating the recovery process.
However, CrowdStrike has not disclosed the exact number of devices still affected by the outage. The aviation sector faced significant challenges, with over 1,400 flights to or from the US canceled on Sunday, according to FlightAware. Delta and United Airlines were among the worst affected. Health services in Britain, Israel, and Germany also faced disruptions, with some services canceled.
The massive outage has underscored the vulnerability of global computer networks. Lina Khan, Chair of the US Federal Trade Commission, commented on the incident: “All too often these days, a single glitch results in a system-wide outage, affecting industries from healthcare and airlines to banks and auto dealers. These incidents reveal how concentration can create fragile systems.”
Despite the current challenges, CrowdStrike has been one of the most trusted brands in the cybersecurity industry, serving 29,000 customers worldwide, including major US companies. Interestingly, China remained largely unaffected by the outage, as CrowdStrike is not widely used there.
