In one of the most disruptive computer outages in years, a cascading technology error caused chaos on computer systems globally on Friday, emphasizing the world’s reliance on potentially error-prone software from a limited number of companies. The meltdown was mainly due to a software update error from CrowdStrike, affecting computers using Microsoft’s Windows operating system, which powers a vast number of personal computers and back-end systems for critical services.
The issue was not a cyberattack or security breach, according to CrowdStrike. Experts were surprised by the extent of the outage, with Chuck Herrin from F5 Inc. calling it unprecedented. Marie Vasek from University College London’s computer science department emphasized how interconnected the global technology systems are. She pointed out that the bug affected every single system due to the widespread use of Microsoft and CrowdStrike software.
CrowdStrike is working on resolving the issue with impacted customers to ensure services resume. Companies, including banks and emergency services centers, are implementing the repaired software to recover from the network meltdowns. Technicians face challenges in accessing remote servers to install updates, leading to potential disruptions in flights, surgeries, and payroll systems in the coming days.
Vasek stressed the need for both CrowdStrike and Microsoft to review their procedures to prevent similar failures in the future. Microsoft, in response, is actively assisting customers in their recovery efforts. While it is unclear how many network collapses were due to the defective CrowdStrike update, Microsoft has indicated that the issue with Azure services has been resolved and is unrelated to the CrowdStrike bug.
The evolving situation requires continuous updates as more information becomes available.
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