CrowdStrike CEO apologizes for global Microsoft outage linked to software update

CrowdStrike's CEO, George Kurtz, has confirmed that a significant Microsoft outage linked to an update of the company's "Falcon Sensor" software has been isolated and a fix deployed. The outage has disrupted stock exchanges, supermarkets, and flight operations worldwide, with many users reporting the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), leading to unexpected system shutdowns.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kurtz explained that the issue arose from a defect in a single content update for Windows hosts, assuring that Mac and Linux systems were unaffected. He emphasized that this incident is not a result of a cyberattack, stating, "The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed. We refer customers to the support portal for the latest updates and will continue to provide complete and continuous updates on our website."

During an interview on NBC's 'Today' program, Kurtz expressed regret over the outage's impact, saying, "We are deeply sorry for the impact that we have caused to customers, to travellers, to anyone affected by this, including our company." He noted that while many customers are rebooting their systems successfully, some may take longer to recover.

The outage has significantly affected various sectors, including airlines and financial institutions, with reports of grounded flights and disrupted banking services. CrowdStrike is actively working with affected customers to ensure that all systems are restored.

Despite the chaos, Kurtz assured that CrowdStrike's team is fully mobilized to support customers, stating, "Our services are still seeing continuous improvements while we continue to take mitigation actions."