According to estimates by Microsoft Corporation, 8.5 million computers around the world were disabled as a result of the global IT failure on July 19. This happened because of CrowdStrike, which sent a software update with a code bug to a huge number of its customers.
This is the first time such a thing has struck the number of devices, which may indicate the worst cyber event in history, the BBC writes.
Microsoft vice president David Weston said that this is less than 1% of all Windows computers, but “the broad economic and social consequences reflect the use of CrowdStrike by enterprises that run many mission-critical services.”
The tech giant emphasized how important it is for companies like CrowdStrike to use quality checks on updates before sending them out.
“It’s also a reminder of how important it is for all of us in the technology ecosystem to prioritize secure deployment and disaster recovery with existing mechanisms,” Microsoft vice president David Weston said.
The massive amount of damage caused by the IT failure has already made it one of the worst cyber incidents in history.
As the BBC writes, the number from Microsoft indicates probably the worst cyber event in history, which overshadowed all previous hacker attacks and device failures. The one closest in scale to it is the 2017 WannaCry cyber attack, which is estimated to have affected about 300,000 computers in 150 countries. A month later, hackers launched the devastating NotPetya virus.
In 2021, Meta, the company that runs Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, also experienced a six-hour outage. But this mostly only concerned the social media giant and some of its associated partners.
People are warned by cyber agencies in Australia and the UK to be wary of fake emails, phone calls, and websites that appear to be official.
And CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz urged users to make sure they talk to the company’s official representatives before downloading an update that fixes the problem.
Whenever there is a large-scale event that spreads rapidly around the world, especially one related to technology, hackers respond by changing their approaches to accommodate feelings of fear and uncertainty.
According to researchers at Secureworks, there has already been a spike in CrowdStrike-themed domain registrations, with hackers launching fake sites that can potentially trick people into downloading malware.
provide or transfer private data. Cybersecurity agencies around the world are being urged to be hyper-vigilant and act only on information from official CrowdStrike channels.
Also Read: What is CrowdStrike and why has it caused a worldwide IT failure?
