CrowdStrike incident affected 8.5 million devices, Microsoft says

Last week, the CrowdStrike incident brought down millions of Windows devices worldwide. It was so severe that affected companies are still working to fix the problem. Now, Microsoft has revealed details about how many Windows PCs were affected.

While Microsoft wasn’t the source of the problem, it only affected companies whose systems are built on Windows. Or more precisely, those who use CrowdStrike’s cybersecurity solutions. So in a blog post, the Redmond giant outlined the measures it’s taking to help its customers get their computers back to normal.

8.5 million Windows devices affected by flawed CrowdStrike update

The blog post confirms that around 8.5 million Windows devices were affected. That’s less than 1% of Windows PCs worldwide. Since CrowdStrike’s cybersecurity solutions are aimed at businesses, regular users didn’t suffer the dreaded BSOD. In any case, it’s striking that the company rolled out the update en masse without proper testing first.

Many companies are having trouble recovering their systems. The problem is that the solutions offered by CrowdStrike are not automatic, but must be applied manually to each computer. For example, you have to start Windows in Safe Mode, find a specific file, and delete it. These types of processes, which seem simple, become an IT nightmare in environments with hundreds of devices. So the platforms of many affected companies have not yet been fully recovered. In fact, it could take several weeks before everything is sorted out.

Microsoft provides detailed information on steps to resolve the crash

Back to Microsoft, the blog post details the steps the company is taking to help resolve the Windows outage as quickly as possible. Microsoft’s measures include communicating directly with CrowdStrike, deploying “hundreds” of engineers specifically dedicated to addressing the situation, and partnering with companies that offer services similar to CrowdStrike.

He also created a post with instructions on how to fix the problem and updates the status of the situation in real time. There’s even an official recovery tool to try to make everything as easy as possible.

The “CrowdStrike incident” was one of the most catastrophic in modern IT history. From stores to airports, they all halted operations due to the problem. It will likely cause changes in the cybersecurity tool vendor industry and mark changes before and after the update is rolled out.