A blue screen error shown on a Microsoft system amid its global outage.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Microsoft’s global tech failure resulting in a global outage affected 8.5 million computers all around the globe, the company estimated. This happened on July 19 after a cybersecurity software company, CrowdStrike, rolled out its routine update, causing the "Blue Screen of Death".
"We currently estimate that CrowdStrike's update affected 8.5 million Windows devices. Deploying hundreds of Microsoft engineers and experts to work directly with customers to restore services,” Microsoft stated in a blog post.
The global outage affected airlines, news channels, IT systems, banking operations, government offices and companies around the world.
However, several reports stated that the outage did not affect the home PCs, and the major reason being CrowdStrike's products are primarily used by major organisations who need robust cyber attack protection, unlike those in home PCs.
As per another report, Nicole Burres, the information security manager for Kansas City--based Loquient Technology Services, spoke to KSHB Kansas City.com and said, “As far as I know, it's not something that you would need to be concerned about at home.”
Ms Burres mentioned in the report that the outage could impact banking and some emergency services depending on the person’s location.
She further asserted that, “CrowdStrike is a cybersecurity company that deploys cloud solutions to companies.They have about a 1,000-user minimum licensing requirements, so your end user at home wouldn't be using it.”
Addressing the glitch, the company said, "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," the statement added.
The statement further mentioned, "We refer customers to the support portal for the latest updates and will continue to provide complete and continuous updates on our website. We further recommend organizations ensure they're communicating with CrowdStrike representatives through official channels. Our team is fully mobilized to ensure the security and stability of CrowdStrike customers."