Microsoft IT outages hit worldwide after faulty update from cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike

Businesses around the world are facing massive disruptions after a faulty software update from cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike caused millions of Windows-based computers and IT endpoints that downloaded the update to crash.

Affected systems were reportedly faced with the “blue screen of death” (BSOD) and were then unable to reboot and function properly. Images have appeared on social media showing airports displaying the BSOD on arrival and departure boards. 

The cause stemmed from an update to the firm’s Falcon Sensor security product, and Crowdstrike is working on rolling back the faulty update, reports say. On the company’s SubReddit, a workaround has apparently been posted by a moderator, but would require manually implementing each system individually.

The outages have grounded flights, disrupted trains, affected banks, health services, and Sky News was unable to broadcast. The effects were first reported in Australia and New Zealand but have since spread into Asia and Europe, where airports were severely disrupted and thousands of passengers are facing delays. Delta, United, and American airlines have had flights grounded due to the disruption. 

In the financial sector, the London Stock Exchange reported technical issues with its news service, but said its exchange was reportedly functioning as normal. Meanwhile, Crowdstrike’s stock price has declined nearly 20% in pre-market trading.

Crowdstrike President and CEO George Kurtz made a statement on X amid the ongoing disruptions, stating that 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. The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed. We refer customers to the support portal for the latest updates and will continue to provide complete and continuous updates on our website,” Kurtz added.

Polygon CISO Mudit Gupta stated on X that Polygon uses Crowdstrike technology, but that they “weren't impacted because we don't roll out non-critical updates to our staff before testing them.”

“In any case, Polygon networks are decentralized. Even if Polygon Labs get affected in such an IT incident, nothing will be impacted on Polygon networks,” Gupta added.

The incident has reportedly caused some experts to ponder and comment on the highly interconnected and digitalized nature of the global economy, saying the incident highlights fragilities in IT infrastructure.