Microsoft reports CrowdStrike update disrupts 8.5 M. Windows devices

Shafaq News/ Microsoft announced, on Saturday, that an update from CrowdStrike affected 8.5 million Windows devices, which is less than 1% of all devices running the operating system.

The software update from global cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, one of the industry's leaders, caused system issues that led to flight disruptions, media broadcast interruptions, and prevented users from accessing services like healthcare and banking.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, governments' and businesses' reliance on interconnected technology companies has increased, highlighting how a single software issue can cause worldwide disruptions.

The incident cast a spotlight on CrowdStrike, an $83 billion company that, despite being relatively unknown, boasts over 20,000 subscribers globally, including Amazon and Microsoft.

CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz stated on X that a "content update glitch for Windows server hosting systems" impacted Microsoft clients.

Air travel was among the hardest hit by the disruption, as airlines rely on seamless scheduling, which, when interrupted, can lead to significant delays.

Of the more than 110,000 commercial flights scheduled on Friday, 5,000 were canceled worldwide, with more cancellations expected, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.

Airports from Los Angeles to Singapore, Amsterdam, and Berlin reported airlines resorting to handwritten boarding passes, causing further delays.

Banks and financial services firms warned clients of disruptions, and market traders reported difficulties in executing transactions. Insurance companies may face a surge of claims due to service interruptions.

The incident also raised concerns about the preparedness of many organizations to implement contingency plans for IT or software failures capable of bringing entire systems to a halt.

Experts suggest that such outages will likely recur until more robust contingency plans are integrated into networks and organizations adopt better backup tools.