CrowdStrike outage: what is the latest on the fix this morning, what has been said?

• CrowdStrike outage affected 8.5m devices.
• A fix has been rolled out after engineers worked around the clock.
• GPs and airports among those impacted by the outage last week.

A “significant number” of devices impacted by a major global IT outage have been “resorted” CrowdStrike has said. Engineers have been working around the clock to deploy a fix to resolve the issue which impacted Windows users around the world. 

However despite the fact that the outage has been rolled back, disruption is still expected to last into the near future. Flights were cancelled across the globe, while GP services have also been disrupted in the UK. 

The outage was not the result of a “cyberattack”, CrowdStrike has confirmed. As many of 8.5 million Windows devices were affected by the outage last week. 

But what is the latest and what has been said? Here’s all you need to know: 

CrowdStrike issues update on the fix

A fix for the outage issue affecting CrowdStrike users has been rolled out over the weekend. The company has said that a “significant number” of affected devices has been “resorted” in an update on Monday (22 July). 

In a post on CrowdStrike’s LinkedIn page, the company wrote: “CrowdStrike continues to focus on restoring all systems as soon as possible. Of the approximately 8.5 million Windows devices that were impacted, a significant number are back online and operational.

“Together with customers, we tested a new technique to accelerate impacted system remediation. We’re in the process of operationalizing an opt-in to this technique. We’re making progress by the minute.

“We understand the profound impact this has had on everyone. We know our customers, partners and their IT teams are working tirelessly and we’re profoundly grateful. We apologise for the disruption this has created. Our focus is clear: to restore every system as soon as possible. We will continue to provide updates as information becomes available and new fixes are deployed.” 

Was it just Windows devices hit by outage? 

In a post on CrowdStrike’s website on Monday morning, the company explained: “CrowdStrike is actively assisting customers affected by a defect in a recent content update for Windows hosts. Mac and Linux hosts were not impacted. The issue has been identified and isolated, and a fix has been deployed. This was not a cyberattack.

“Customers are advised to check the support portal for updates. We will also continue to provide the latest information here and on our blog as it’s available. We recommend organisations verify they are communicating with CrowdStrike representatives through official channels.

“We assure our customers that CrowdStrike is operating normally and this issue does not affect our Falcon platform systems. If your systems are operating normally, there is no impact to their protection if the Falcon sensor is installed.

“We understand the gravity of this situation and are deeply sorry for the inconvenience and disruption. Our team is fully mobilised to ensure the security and stability of CrowdStrike customers.”

CrowdStrike CEO issues apology 

George Kurtz, the founder and CEO of CrowdStrike, issued an apology following the outage on Friday (19 July). In a statement he said: “I want to sincerely apologise directly to all of you for the outage. All of CrowdStrike understands the gravity and impact of the situation. We quickly identified the issue and deployed a fix, allowing us to focus diligently on restoring customer systems as our highest priority.

“The outage was caused by a defect found in a Falcon content update for Windows hosts. Mac and Linux hosts are not impacted. This was not a cyberattack. We are working closely with impacted customers and partners to ensure that all systems are restored, so you can deliver the services your customers rely on.

“CrowdStrike is operating normally, and this issue does not affect our Falcon platform systems. There is no impact to any protection if the Falcon sensor is installed. Falcon Complete and Falcon OverWatch services are not disrupted.”

How to check the latest on CrowdStrike outage? 

Following the outage, CrowdStrike set up a support portal for affected customers to find out the latest. You can find the link here.

Have you been affected by the CrowdStrike outage - either directly or indirectly. If you’ve had your summer holiday disrupted or been unable to access your computer - contact our tech writer by emailing [email protected]