One computer glitch halted almost an entire planet just recently. In an era where our lives are intertwined with technology, can people survive without computers? This question loomed large on July 19, when a global Microsoft 365 outage disrupted critical services worldwide, affecting airlines, financial institutions, government offices, healthcare systems and facilities, and more. This could be the ‘largest IT outage in history,’ an expert says. Recovering from it is expected to be a long, arduous process.
What Happened?
The outage stemmed from a faulty update of CrowdStrike‘s “Falcon” cybersecurity defense software for Windows hosts, causing high CPU usage and timeout exceptions in Microsoft’s caching infrastructure. Computers running on Mac and Linux operating systems were not impacted. However, over half of Fortune 500 companies and many government offices, including the top U.S. cybersecurity agency itself, use the CrowdStrike’s software. The crash led to widespread service disruptions, impacting various sectors:
- Travel Trouble: Thousands of flights were canceled, with major airlines like Delta, United, and American Airlines issuing ground stops. More than 5,000 flights were canceled globally.
- Critical Services Down: Banks and healthcare systems worldwide were affected, while lifesaving 911 services were disrupted in several US states.
- Dark Times: Billboards in Times Square went blank, media broadcasters were knocked off the air, and businesses across various industries struggled to recover.
Who is to Blame?
Security experts said CrowdStrike’s update of its cybersecurity software apparently did not undergo adequate quality checks before it was deployed. It’s unclear how that faulty code got into the update and why it wasn’t detected before being released to customers.
CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz apologized for the disruption, noting that recovery will take time while a fix has been deployed, as affected systems are manually rebooted. One question is how long it will take to get things moving again.
Current Actions and Workaround Steps:
CrowdStrike has issued a workaround for affected hosts:
Boot Windows into Safe Mode or WRE.
Navigate to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\CrowdStrike.
Locate and delete the file matching “C-00000291*.sys”.
Boot normally.
For more details, visit CrowdStrike’s official statement and Current Actions.
What To Do Next (...Time or the Next Minute!):
- Direct Access: Use direct URLs for critical apps:
- Temporary Measures: Accessing applications via these URLs might provide temporary relief until the outage is fully resolved.
- Contact Support: If issues persist, contact your IT department for further assistance.
- Preventive Measures: To avoid future disruptions, consider consulting with a Sprinterra manager about preventive strategies or alternative platforms. Sprinterra offers robust solutions tailored to ensure business continuity.
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