Massive IT Outage Chaos
ED: Yesterday around mid-day, my computer shut down unexpectedly. At first, I thought the issue was with my computer because I encountered a blue screen and it wouldn’t reboot. Later in the afternoon, I discovered that the problem was due to an offshore software update. Since I subscribe to a US security company that uses Crowdstrike, my system was affected. Thankfully, I’m back online and secure now.
A global IT outage has thrown Australian airlines, hospitals, media, banks, and small businesses into disarray, causing widespread disruptions.
When the story first broke, people speculated that it might be the result of a cyberattack by adversaries. However, it turned out to be something much less alarming: an update.
The issue stemmed from a defect in a single content update of CrowdStrike’s software on Microsoft Windows operating systems. CrowdStrike’s CEO, George Kurtz, confirmed the problem and advised customers to reboot their computers. The issue is specific to Falcon, one of CrowdStrike’s main software products, and does not impact Mac or Linux systems.
CrowdStrike is a major player in the cybersecurity industry, CrowdStrike’s software is used by numerous companies and Australian small business to detect and block hacking threats. The company operates globally through software sales and investigations of major hacks.
