Global Outage | Updates & Aftermath

8.5 Million Computing Devices Impacted

July 19, 2024 was an experience of a lifetime for many ICT professionals, who opted in to install CrowdStrike Endpoint Protection on their 微软 Windows 10 Computing devices. Microsoft estimates about 8.5 Million devices were impacted according to the the source : BBC.

How to FIX IT ?

• Here is the initial workaround provided by the CrowdStrike Support Team
• Latest Update is that 微软 has released a RECOVERY TOOL to be used, you can find the details here at the official Blog https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/intune-customer-success/new-recovery-tool-to-help-with-crowdstrike-issue-impacting/ba-p/4196959

What to Expect ?

What the world faced on Friday, July 19, 2024, was not something we could sweep under the carpet and forget about.

In my opinion the official blog on "Technical Details: Falcon Content Update for Windows Hosts" trying to undermine the impact and the damage done to multiples of millions of people whom using and serviced using on of the 8.5 Million computing devices on that day.

Further to highlight the snippet from the official so called Impact Analysis is a total disgrace to the ICT Profession.

What to Expect: The REAL Impact

One of the simple example for the impact is as follows: a timelapse video of part of the US air traffic https://twitter.com/i/status/1814268813879206397

Travellers are stranded in airports for days, Sky News Australia : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXU6JNdy-xw

Banks were closed on a busy Friday, Emergency Call Lines were impacted, 纽约时报 : https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/19/business/emergency-911-calls-tech-outage.html

Nevertheless, more to be expected.

What to Expect: Aftermath

In my opinion, at least half a billion people were impacted on July 19th and 20th, and I'm fairly confident that many more will still be seeking resolution in the coming days.

There are now reports of cybercriminals activating to exploit this outage for their benefit. Simultaneously, it's evident that organizations are attempting to capitalize on the outage-induced fear to gain advantage.

It is too soon to assess the full monetary impact of this outage, which could reach into the billions of dollars. Additionally, it's crucial to remember that the return of online systems is just the beginning.

The potential for further repercussions, such as legal actions, cyberattacks on vulnerable systems, and the challenge of restoring brand reputation compared to unaffected competitors, cannot be overlooked.

Who made the mistake ?

Before we determine who made the mistake, let's first understand what exactly happened.

• CrowdStrike has released an UPDATE to their SOFTWARE APPLICATION. This doesn't mean that it was only released for 微软 Windows 10 but 苹果 Mac OS & 谷歌 Chrome OS as well.
• If Corporate / Enterprise Environment: SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS are usually queued on the "Software Distribution" System
• If Local Computer: You will be prompted that an update is available

Given that this UPDATE pertains to endpoint protection / antivirus software, it's standard procedure for users and system administrators to install it as soon as possible.

• This update has impacted the core of the 微软 Windows 10, which leads to unhandled exception on the Operating System (OS).
• This leads to Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) and Computer to Restart.
• Usually, the computer will recover from BSOD upon restart, but in this case it was not.
• A potential reason for the system's inability to recover from the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) and subsequent boot loop could be a failure of the endpoint protection software to automatically start upon OS boot.

Is 微软 to be blamed ?

Simple Answer would be "YES"

As a user and systems engineer with over two decades of experience, I've been utilizing Microsoft Windows since its inception in 1997 with Windows 3.0, witnessing the evolution of operating systems firsthand, including

• Windows 3.11,
• Windows 95 (First real Operating System),
• Windows 2000,
• Windows ME (Stupidest Among All),
• Windows XP (A great OS until it meets the internet.),
• Windows Vista (Stupid One, as far as I am concerned),
• Windows 7 (XP's closest competitor),
• Windows 8, Windows 10 &
• currently operating on Windows 11.

Throughout my experience, the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) has been a recurring challenge. That said, we should acknowledge 微软 's achievement in developing an operating system capable of functioning across a wide range of computer and laptop configurations.

According to sources, The first Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) appeared in Windows NT 3.1 (the first version of the Windows NT family, released in 1993), and later appeared on all Windows operating systems released afterwards.        

For over three decades, 微软 has struggled to eliminate the BSOD, culminating in a recent global outage that caused widespread disruption.

Is CrowdStrike to be blamed ?

Without a doubt, ABSOLUTELY YES.

Having no prior experience with CrowdStrike products, I cannot evaluate their offerings or the company's overall performance based solely on a single incident. Their 13-year history and $3.06 billion in FY24 revenue suggest a broader context.

Nevertheless, the company's communication over the past few days, including statements from George Kurtz , the co-founder and CEO, has raised concerns about its ability to effectively manage a cybersecurity incident. This is particularly evident in the CEO's following statement.

The highlighted text indicates that neither the CEO nor company understands the fundamentals of the Information Security, the CIA triad refers to Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability.

IMPORTANT: What You Must Do ?

Exercise extreme caution as cybercriminals may attempt to exploit this vulnerable period.

Thoroughly scrutinize links before clicking, and seek support exclusively from official channels.

Avoid installing or executing scripts from unverified sources.

Always think twice before granting privileged access to any application or script on your computer.