Healthcare, banking and airline industries, among others, were affected on Friday 19 July by a global computer glitch that affected 8.5 million Windows computers and servers connected to the CrowdStrike security platform.
Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike has admitted that the problem was caused by an update to its "Falcon Sensor" software, designed to protect Microsoft Windows devices from malicious attacks that caused the infamous Windows blue screen. The company blames a bug in the test software for failing to properly validate the content update that was pushed to millions of machines on Friday.
CrowdStrike is a leading US cybersecurity company. It is distinguished by its advanced solutions in cloud protection, network security and cyberattack response services. Its Falcon platform, which uses artificial intelligence and machine learning, enables real-time detection and mitigation of cyber threats. Since its founding in 2011, CrowdStrike has established itself as one of the leading solutions.
As part of regular operations, CrowdStrike released a content configuration update for the Windows sensor to gather telemetry on potential novel threat techniques.
The incident affected Windows hosts running sensor version 7.11 and above that were online between 19 July 2024, 04:09 UTC and 05:27 UTC and received the update. Apple macOS and Linux systems were not affected.
In response to the serious problems caused by the bug and to prevent a recurrence, the Texas-based company has improved its testing processes and bug handling mechanism. It also plans to implement a staggered deployment strategy.