CrowdStrike says over 97% of Windows sensors back online | FMT
A week after a flawed update caused a global IT outage, CrowdStrike’s CEO has announced that almost all affected systems have been restored. George Kurtz, in a LinkedIn post, stated that “over 97%” of systems running CrowdStrike’s software were operational as of July 25.
The outage, which grounded flights and disrupted TV stations, was estimated by Microsoft to have impacted 8.5 million machines. Based on Kurtz’s update, around 250,000 devices remain offline.
Kurtz expressed gratitude for the “tireless efforts” of customers and staff, apologizing once more for the incident. He assured that while perfection can’t be promised, the response to such issues will be “focused, effective, and with a sense of urgency.” He also emphasized that the work to fully restore all impacted systems is ongoing.
The BBC has reached out to CrowdStrike for further details regarding the remaining offline systems and the reasons for the delay in their recovery.
Restoring systems has been a labor-intensive process. Last Friday, solutions were shared online by both CrowdStrike and Microsoft within 24 hours of the initial reports. However, these remedies required physical access to the affected devices, which proved challenging. Microsoft later released a tool to expedite the process, and Kurtz noted that the development of automated recovery tools has “enhanced” recovery efforts.
CrowdStrike has published a Preliminary Incident Review detailing how the issue arose and has committed to measures to prevent a recurrence. Despite these efforts, the company has faced criticism for its handling of the situation.
The company faced backlash after offering staff and affiliated firms a $10 UberEats voucher as an apology. The gesture, intended as a token of thanks, was seen as inadequate by some. A Reddit user commented, “I literally wanted to drive my car off a bridge this weekend and they bought me coffee. Nice.”
According to insurance firm Parametrix, the outage cost the top 500 US companies by revenue, excluding Microsoft, an estimated $5.4 billion in financial losses.
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