Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike reported on Wednesday that a bug in a software update caused widespread disruptions to banks, retailers, and airlines last week.
CrowdStrike stated that the update was intended to collect new data on potential threats. However, an undetected bug in the update led to certain Windows operating systems crashing to the infamous “Blue Screen of Death.”
Approximately 8.5 million machines were affected in total, with broader impacts due to the reliance of other systems on these computers. Hospitals, government agencies, TV stations, banks, and airlines all experienced at least temporary halts.
As of Wednesday, some businesses were still in the process of recovering from the downtime.
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CrowdStrike has adjusted its procedures to reduce the risk of future crashes. The company plans to stagger updates instead of deploying them globally simultaneously and conduct more internal testing on updates to identify bugs before they are released.
Regulators are now investigating CrowdStrike and the outage. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced a federal investigation into Delta Air Lines, while lawmakers are requesting testimony from CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz regarding the incident.
“All too often these days, a single glitch results in a system-wide outage, affecting industries from healthcare and airlines to banks and auto-dealers,” said U.S. Federal Trade Commission chair Lina Khan on Sunday. “Millions of people and businesses pay the price. These incidents reveal how concentration can create fragile systems.”
