The problem with Windows being the number one operating system in business is … that it’s the number one operating system in the world. When it goes down, business grinds to a halt. A CrowdStrike software update caused many Windows computers used by businesses to get the blue screen of death error message.
CrowdStrike Takes Down Businesses Across the World
A recent software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike led to a significant issue: many Windows computers used by businesses started encountering error messages. Problems were first seen in Australia, then spread to the United States and the UK. It’s brought flights from major airlines, such as Delta and United to a halt. By midday, there were at least 3000 flights cancelled.
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Unsplash
TV networks, banks, and health services were brought down as well. Both FedEx and UPS were affected, and both said there could be delays in packages set to be delivered on the 19th. The UK health secretary, Wes Streeting, posted to X to say UK hospitals were affected.
People are also taking to social media to post about difficulties they’ve faced at businesses. It was reported by many coffee consumers that some Starbucks were forced to close. Several people weren’t getting their daily java intake.
It would be impossible for this article to list all businesses that were affected. When a critical system like this fails, it can bring entire companies to a standstill.
CrowdStrike and Microsoft Chime In
CrowdStrike head George Kurtz posted to X that the issue was a single content update that only affected Windows hosts, not Mac or Linux hosts. He stressed that the issue was not a security incident or cyberattack and that it was identified and isolated. A fix has already gone out.
Kurtz also noted that CrowdStrike was pointing customers toward a support portal for the latest updates. CrowsdStrike recommends that affected businesses ensure that they’re speaking with CrowdStrike reps.
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Unsplash
Kuntz later explained that the incident was with Falcon content that was updated and that they are working with all customers who were affected to get them up and going again.
Microsoft CEO and Chairman Satya Nadella chimed in as well but didn’t offer much in the way of information. He also posted to Twitter and noted that the CrowdStrike update was impacting IT systems globally. He added that Microsoft was working closely with CrowdStrike to give their customers guidance and support.
Adam Leon Smith, a Chartered Institute of IT in the UK fellow and cybersecurity expert, noted that some impacted businesses could see a fix that same day, but it may take longer for some other businesses, since the outage was so widespread.
This Windows outage serves as a stark reminder of the interconnected nature of modern business operations and the potential risks associated with software updates. Windows updates can have problems, too. Read on to learn how to fix them.
Image credit: Unsplash
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Laura Tucker –
Contributor
Laura has spent more than 20 years writing news, reviews, and op-eds, with the majority of those years as an editor as well. She has exclusively used Apple products for the past 35 years. In addition to writing and editing at MTE, she also runs the site’s sponsored review program.
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