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CrowdStrike ‘actively working’ to fix bug that caused global IT outage

Posted on by darion

Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike is “actively working” to fix a “flaw” in an update for Microsoft Windows users that caused a global IT outage, the company’s CEO said.

George Kurtz said Mac and Linux users were not affected by the flaw and that it was “not a security incident or cyberattack.”

He wrote on X: “The issue has been identified, isolated, and a fix has been deployed.

“We refer our customers to the support portal for the latest updates. We will continue to provide complete and continuous updates on our website.

In an interview with NBC’s Today Show, Mr Kurtz said the company “deeply regrets the impact we had on customers”.

He added that the company is “working with each customer to make sure we can restore their network access,” confirming that the outage was caused by a “bug” related to a software update.

Mr Kurtz said there was a “negative interaction” between the update and Microsoft’s operating system, causing computers to crash and systems to stop working.

The CrowdStrike founder could not provide a timeline for a complete fix, admitting that it will “take some time” before all users who did not automatically boot after receiving the company’s patch are back online.

Asked if he ever thought a failure of this scale was possible, Mr. Kurtz replied: “Software is a very complex, interactive world, and staying ahead of the competition is a challenge.”

Crisis officials in Whitehall are co-ordinating the response to the outage.

The Cobra system, which deals with emergencies or serious disruptions to the functioning of the state, has been activated, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Pat McFadden, has announced.

Ministers are in touch with their sectors to deal with the fallout from the IT failure, with Transport Secretary Louise Haigh saying she was working “at industry pace” after trains and flights were grounded.

Major infrastructure was paralyzed as computer systems went down and devices began to display the so-called “blue screen of death,” affecting key sectors across the country.

NHS England said the power cut “caused disruption to most GP surgeries” in England but had no impact on the 999 emergency number or emergency services.

The health service said patients should keep their appointments unless instructed otherwise and should only contact their GP in urgent cases.

Across England, GP practices have reported being unable to book appointments or access medical records due to a failure of the EMIS Web system.

The National Pharmacists Association (NPA) said that “community pharmacy services, including GP prescriptions and medicine deliveries, are currently disrupted”.

In a statement, Microsoft said: “We are aware of an issue affecting Windows devices due to updates from a third-party software platform. We anticipate a solution will be found soon.”

In an update on its website, Microsoft suggested users of virtual machines (PCs where the computer is not in the same place as the screen) turn their devices on and off up to 15 times to restart the device and resolve the issue.

“We have received feedback from customers that multiple reboots may be necessary (up to 15 have been reported), however, generally speaking, reboots are an effective way to resolve issues at this stage,” the tech giant said.

In the UK, Sky News stopped broadcasting and the UK’s largest rail company warned passengers there could be disruption due to “extensive IT issues”, as did many major airlines and airports.

Banks, supermarkets and other large institutions around the world reported computer problems disrupting services, with many businesses unable to accept digital payments.

Sky Presenters
Sky News taken off air (Sky News/PA)

One of the companies affected was Ryanair, which said on its website: “Possible disruption across the entire network (Friday 19th July) due to a global external system failure.

“Affected passengers will be notified and anyone travelling on Friday 19 July should check the Ryanair app for the latest flight information.

“We recommend passengers arrive at the airport three hours before departure to avoid any disruptions.

“We apologise for any inconvenience caused to passengers as a result of this third-party IT issue, which is beyond Ryanair’s control and affects all airlines operating within the network.”

Airports and other airlines around the world reported serious problems with passenger service, with long queues forming outside terminals and some flights being canceled.

Govia Thameslink Railway – the parent company of Southern, Thameslink, Gatwick Express and Great Northern – warned passengers to expect delays.

Service monitoring site Downdetector said users had reported problems with Visa, BT, major supermarket chains, banks, online gaming platforms and media outlets.

GP practices across England have been warned they have no access to EMIS Web, the most popular clinical care system for primary care in the UK.

It allows medical practices to schedule appointments and review records. It includes a clinical decision support tool and helps with administrative tasks.