CrowdStrike Software Update Causes Widespread Outages: What You Need to Know

CrowdStrike Outage: What Happened and How to Protect Your Systems

Last week, a software update from CrowdStrike caused significant outages, impacting approximately 8.5 million Windows devices. Users reported experiencing Blue Screens of Death (BSOD), sudden shutdowns, and various other usability issues. It is crucial to note that this issue is not related to any cybersecurity incident or malicious activity but is purely a result of a defect in the software update.

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Here is their latest social media update regarding the issue:

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Key Points to Remember:

• The issue stems from a defect in a recent content update for Windows hosts, not a cyberattack.
• Mac and Linux hosts are not impacted.
• Customers should follow the remediation guidance provided by CrowdStrike.
• CrowdStrike’s Falcon platform systems remain unaffected.
• Continuous updates will be provided through the CrowdStrike support portal and blog.

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CrowdStrike Outage: What Happened and How to Protect Your Systems

CrowdStrike has acknowledged the problem and is actively working to resolve it. They have provided detailed remediation guidance for affected customers through their CrowdStrike Customer Portal. In a recent update, they shared that together with customers, they have tested a new technique to accelerate system remediation and are in the process of operationalising an opt-in to this technique.

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How to Mitigate CrowdStrike Update-Induced Windows Crashes

To ensure your systems remain secure and operational, it is crucial to review and implement the remediation advice from CrowdStrike. Customers are encouraged to follow the Tech Alerts for the latest updates as they happen and will be notified when action is needed. Staying informed and proactive in following the recommended steps is essential.

CrowdStrike is actively assisting customers affected by the defect, and they have assured that this issue does not impact their Falcon platform systems or disrupt Falcon Complete and Falcon OverWatch services. Windows hosts that were not impacted do not require any action as the problematic channel file has been reverted.

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Assistance: Where to Get Help

For those needing additional assistance, the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) is closely monitoring the situation and offers support and advice to impacted organisations and individuals. If you require help, you can reach out to ACSC via their hotline at 1300 CYBER1 (1300 292 371).

Additionally, if you believe you have been a victim of cybercrime or require further steps to secure your systems, visit ReportCyber for more information.

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Official Statement from CrowdStrike's CEO

George Kurtz, CrowdStrike's Founder and CEO, issued a statement expressing sincere apologies for the outage and assuring customers that the issue has been identified and isolated, with a fix already deployed. The company is focused on restoring all systems as soon as possible and providing continuous updates through their support portal.

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Stay Updated

For the latest updates and detailed guidance, you can read the full alert on the CrowdStrike website: REMEDIATION AND GUIDANCE HUB: FALCON CONTENT UPDATE FOR WINDOWS HOSTS.

By staying informed and following the recommended steps, you can minimise disruption and maintain the security and functionality of your systems.