‘Significant number’ of devices back up – CrowdStrike

Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike reported that “a significant number” of devices impacted by a global IT outage on Friday are now back online. In a social media post, the company, whose faulty security update caused Microsoft Windows computers to crash worldwide, stated it “continues to focus on restoring all systems.”

Microsoft estimated that the incident, considered one of the worst IT outages in history, affected 8.5 million computers globally. Businesses, banks, hospitals, and airlines were among the hardest hit, with some still struggling to fully restore their systems.

CrowdStrike acknowledged the severe impact of the outage and expressed gratitude for the efforts of customers, partners, and IT teams. “We understand the profound impact this has had on everyone. We know our customers, partners, and their IT teams are working tirelessly and we’re profoundly grateful,” the company said. “We apologize for the disruption this has created.”

CrowdStrike also mentioned deploying a new fix to expedite the recovery of computer systems but did not specify how many devices were still affected.

According to aviation tracking platform FlightAware, over 1,400 flights into or out of the U.S. were cancelled on Sunday, with Delta and United Airlines being the worst affected. Health services in Britain, Israel, and Germany were also impacted on Friday, resulting in some service cancellations.

This massive outage has highlighted the vulnerability of global computer networks, demonstrating how a single glitch can cause widespread chaos. Lina Khan, Chair of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, remarked on social media, “All too often these days, a single glitch results in a system-wide outage, affecting industries from healthcare and airlines to banks and auto dealers. These incidents reveal how concentration can create fragile systems.”

Before this incident, CrowdStrike was considered one of the most trusted brands in the cybersecurity industry. According to its website, the company has 29,000 customers worldwide, including some of the largest companies in the U.S. One major economy largely unaffected by the outage was China, where CrowdStrike is not widely used, and reliance on Microsoft is lower than in other parts of the world.

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