How a simple software update from CrowdStrike completely shattered the internet, explained
The phrase “break the internet” has become something that we hear over and over again. But rarely do we see the internet actually broken.
Well, folks. Today is one of those days. The internet is actually broken!
Chances are that, today, you or someone you know woke up this morning completely locked out of your computer. At the very least, even if you could log on, some of the core functions of your computer were probably cooked. You probably saw the Blue Screen of Death.
Don’t worry — it’s not something you did. This is happening to everybody with devices using Microsoft Windows software.
Chaos has taken hold of our digital society because of a simple software update from a company called CrowdStrike.
Don’t know what that is? Don’t worry. You’re not alone. That’s exactly what I’m here for. Here’s everything you need to know about Microsoft and CrowdStrike giving you a bit of a reprieve from work today.
What the heck is CrowdStrike?
(Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP)
Simply put, CrowdStrike is a cybersecurity company based in Austin, Texas. Many businesses use its software to shield their online presence from hackers.
The company uses a cloud-based solution it calls “Falcon” to constantly monitor and prevent security threats for the various companies that hire Crowdstrike.
It’s been effective in the past. It played a role in investigating the Sony Pictures hack in 2014 and the cyberattacks on the Democratic National Committee in 2015 and 2015.
Over the years, it has become one of the most well-known cybersecurity firms in the world, and many companies have grown to depend on it.
That’s precisely how we got here.
How did it break the internet?
At the center of everything happening today is a CrowdStrike update called Falcon Sensor, which is simply a program that scans computers for intrusions.
The update the company sent out contained code that caused computers running Microsoft Windows software to crash. So, technically, this is not a Microsoft issue — it’s a CrowdStrike issue. Something included in the CrowdStrike code sent out is breaking Microsoft’s software.
Now, let’s bring some numbers in. CrowdStrike has around 29,000 customers in over 170 countries, according to CBS News. Now, think about how ubiquitous Windows is. Microsoft data says that at least 1.4 billion devices used Windows 10 or 11 as their operating systems in 2022.
When you think about those numbers, you realize just how destabilizing this simple mistake from CrowdStrike actually is.
What’s been impacted
(Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
Everything. Airlines, hospitals, banks, broadcast systems. Even your computers at home. Here’s more from the New York Times:
“The fallout was immediate and harmful. CrowdStrike and Microsoft underpin many major businesses. Airlines canceled flights and airports fell into chaos in the United States, Europe and Asia. In the United States, operators of 911 lines in multiple states could not respond to emergencies. Parts of Britain’s National Health Service reported problems. New driver’s licenses could not be issued in some areas. Some television broadcasters could not go on the air.”
Airports around the globe are legitimately on gridlock.
Scenes from airports in Atlanta, Singapore, Virginia, and Malaysia after a global CrowdStrike outage that disrupted airports, banks and more pic.twitter.com/BUvAEK86qV
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) July 19, 2024
Blue screens are everywhere.
happy international bluescreen day pic.twitter.com/caAvytQyS9
— sxchopea (@sxchopea) July 19, 2024
This is what people thought Y2K would look like when the century turned over. It’s incredible to witness.
So is this getting fixed?
The company is currently working on a fix. President George Kurtz posted this statement online, clarifying the incident and the work being done to resolve it.
In short, the company has identified an issue and deployed a fix. It’s just going to take time to get to everyone’s devices. After all, we are talking about billions of devices that need fixing.
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…
— George Kurtz (@George_Kurtz) July 19, 2024
CrowdStrike also posted a manual fix on its website. It’s a lot of work, though, so good luck with this.
Wait! Do I…Do I get a day off because of this?
Well, folks, some of you almost certainly will because this probably won’t be resolved by the end of business today.
Unfortunately, the answer for many of you will be no. Mac and Linus users, you’re totally good. Your software is unaffected whatsoever.
And, on top of that, Microsoft Outlook and Teams both still work!
Microsoft outage but Teams and Outlook are both fine is the adult version of snow that doesn’t settle enough for a school closure.
— Max Pollard (@MaxPollard92) July 19, 2024
Good luck convincing your boss that you need a day, though.