CrowdStrike and Microsoft Break Silence on Windows Outage That’s Disrupting the World

Many Windows PCs and computer systems around the world are down, affecting businesses like airlines, supermarkets, broadcasters, software providers, etc.

The issue stems from a faulty update to cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike’s Falcon Sensor software, and it’s causing a BSOD (blue screen of death) for many people.

SEE ALSO: Windows PCs Crash Worldwide Due to CrowdStrike Issue

SEE ALSO: CrowdStrike outage affects flights worldwide. Find out the latest news.

The outage was initially only mentioned in a CrowdStrike update to customers, with both CrowdStrike and Microsoft (whose Windows systems are most affected) remaining silent on the issue. Now, both companies have acknowledged the issue.

“We are aware of an issue affecting Windows devices due to an update to a third-party software platform. We expect a resolution to be found soon,” a Microsoft spokesperson told the BBC.

“Crowdstrike is actively working with customers impacted by a flaw 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,” CrowdStrike said in a statement to the BBC.

SEE ALSO: CrowdStrike outage affects flights worldwide. Find out the latest news.

“We are directing customers to the support portal for the latest updates and will continue to provide comprehensive and ongoing updates on our website. We further recommend that organizations ensure they communicate with Crowdstrike representatives through official channels. Our team is fully mobilized to ensure the security and stability of Crowdstrike customers,” the company said.

George Kurtz, CrowdStrike’s President and CEO, also released the following statement on X:

“CrowdStrike is actively working with customers impacted by a flaw found in a single content update for Windows hosts. Mac and Linux hosts are not affected. This is not a security incident or cyberattack. The issue has been identified, isolated, and a fix has been deployed. We are directing customers to the Support Portal for the latest updates and will continue to provide comprehensive and ongoing updates on our website. We further recommend that organizations ensure they communicate with CrowdStrike representatives through official channels. Our team is fully committed to ensuring the security and stability of CrowdStrike customers.”

As the X people pointed out in their responses, Kurtz’s statement did not include an apology for the problem that has caused a collapse for major industries like banking, airlines and medical services. Later, in an interview with TODAY, Kurtz more conciliatory.

He said the company was “deeply sorry for the impact we have caused to customers, travelers and anyone affected by this.” But, Kurtz also noted, the problem could last for some time.

“It may take some time for some systems to not recover automatically,” he said.