A missing input in the sensor code caused the biggest tech outage news in July 2024, resulting in a $5.4 billion loss. Across the world, Microsoft users became unable to use their systems because a blue screen appeared. The screen referred as the blue screen of death (BSOD, which stops computers from responding.
The incident is known as a CrowdStrike outage. It is named after the company that is linked to the global IT outage.
What is CrowdStrike?
The main player in the tech outage news. CrowdStrike is a cybersecurity company that offers services to global businesses including tech firms, banks, healthcare, and government agencies.
The Falcon platform is the primary project of CrowdStrike. It is especially designed to protect computers and networks from cyber-attacks. It has the following main features:
- Endpoint protection.
- Realtime threat detection.
- Offering cloud-based services.
- Predicting and blocking new threats in real time.
- Assisting security teams in quick response to security breaches.
Millions of Windows systems crashed on July 19, 2024, because of a flawed update. At that time, it became the biggest tech news outage.
How is the CrowdStrike Outage?
The Microsoft CrowdStrike outage spreadchaos in every industry, emergency services (911) went down in New Hampshire. Moreover, thousands of flights were canceled, hospital operations were disrupted, and computers at stock exchanges stopped working.
The computer outage worldwide was a concerning matter for the entire nation. People were unable to use Microsoft 365 apps and services. Organizations feared data loss. Users were demanding immediate revival of their systems. Many users were assuming it was a potential cyberattack. Although it was a software bug but became the biggest tech outage news in 2024.
US President of that time, Joe Biden also took notice of the Microsoft computer outage worldwide. The former US President ensured his team stayed connected with the CrowdStrike’s executives and updated impacted organizations.
Connection of Microsoft to the CrowdStrike
Microsoft software works as computer operating systems on devices, and CrowdStrike’s Falcon software has kernel-level access. The operating system (OS) manages computer resources while kernel controls system memory and hardware.
Falcon works as security software, allowing it to monitor real time activities across the OS. Errors in kernel can lead to a complete system crash. Therefore, a logical flaw in the Falcon sensor version disrupted the complete functioning of Microsoft Windows.
The global tech outage was also a hit on Microsoft reputation. Users were raising questions about Microsoft parentship with CrowdStrike. To minimize damage Microsoft took some immediate steps:
- Declared the situation as the highest level of emergency (Sev0).
- Quickly built and distributed bootable USB recovery tool.
- Worked closely with the CrowdStrike team.
- Considered limiting third party kernel access.
Microsoft relying on CrowdStrike’s Falcon sensor to offer its core services made it one of the biggest tech outage news.
What was the reason behind the CrowdStrike outage?
Crowd Strike’s software regularly sends updates using specific files. These updates set the behavior of the software to detect viruses and spot vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit.
On July 19, 2024, CrowdStrike sent a file named channel file 291. Accidentally, that file contained a logical error.
The error disrupted communication between programs running on Microsoft windows. As a result, the system crashed.
Not all versions of channel file 291 contained flaws. Only the version “C-00000291.sys” was updated at 4:09 AM, UTC was harmful for computers. The detailed report, shared by CrowdStrike stated, mistake in the input numbers of the channel file 291 update was the reason behind the global outage. The sensor provided only 20 inputs, but the system expected 21 pieces of information.
CrowdStrike fixed the error within 79 minutes, but the outage caused significant damage to worldwide businesses.
How to recover from CrowdStrike outage
It has been almost 11 months since the biggest tech outage news created panic among global businesses. Now many systems have recovered. If you are still facing the issue, take the following steps.
- Manually reboot your system in safe mode.
- Delete the problematic channel 291 file.
Here, it is important to note, connecting your device to the internet will allow it to automatically download the CrowdStrike fix. Staying connected for more than fifteen minutes indicates no issues with your device. Reboot your device to confirm proper functioning.
What causes outage issues in today’s tech world?
There are several reasons in today’s tech-driven world that can cause system outages. Let us discuss some of the common occurrences that cause system outages.
Common Tech Outage issues
DNS not assigned
Each device uses a domain name system (DNS) to access the internet. It translates website names into IP addresses, enabling computers to understand. Not assigning DNS can cause internet outages.
DNS server not responding
In this situation, the device knows the DNS server address. But sometimes the server becomes unreachable or down, so it cannot properly reply to device requests. So, the users face outage issues.
Software glitches
Glitches in the software may occur as happened in the CrowdStrike incident. As a result, your computers, servers or network stop working properly or become completely unavailable. The errors in the program cause outages.
Cyber attacks
Cyber-attacks can hijack computer systems to get complete control. Bad actors exploit vulnerabilities to steal data or make services unavailable. Their control over the system can cause system outages.
Power failures
Electricity is essential for the functioning of computers, servers, routers, and digital infrastructure. Cutting off electricity and power failures on a large or minor scale can cause power failures.
Wrapping up “Tech News Outage”
The tech news outage surprised the world and highlighted the need for backup plans. Along with these, it is good to automate routine processes, but businesses must not ignore the importance of manual set ups.
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