Malicious actors are taking advantage of the aftermath of a faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, which caused major disruptions in the business and travel sectors worldwide.
Government cybersecurity agencies and CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz are issuing warnings about new phishing scams where cybercriminals pose as CrowdStrike employees or tech specialists offering assistance to those affected by the outage.
“We know that adversaries will try to exploit events like this,” Kurtz said. “I encourage everyone to remain vigilant and only engage with official CrowdStrike representatives.”
The UK Cyber Security Center has observed a rise in phishing attempts related to this incident.
Microsoft revealed that 8.5 million Windows devices were impacted by the faulty update, constituting less than 1% of all Windows-based machines globally. According to Microsoft cybersecurity executive David Weston, such widespread disruptions are rare but underscore the interconnected nature of the technology ecosystem.
Air Travel Updates
Following the disruptions, airlines canceled over 1,500 flights by late morning on the U.S. East Coast, a significant decrease from the 5,100 cancellations on the previous day. U.S. airlines accounted for two-thirds of the canceled flights as they worked to recover from the disruptions.
Flight cancellations were highest in Australia, followed by the United States. Other major air-travel markets experienced lower cancellation rates. The reasons behind the disproportionate cancellations in the U.S. are unclear, but potential factors include outsourced technology and reliance on Microsoft operating systems affected by the CrowdStrike update.
Impact on Healthcare Systems
Healthcare systems affected by the outage faced challenges such as clinic closures, canceled surgeries, and restricted access to patient records. Hospitals like Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles reported progress in restoring services and thanked patients for their cooperation.
In Austria, the outage highlighted the need for analog backups in hospitals to ensure patient care continuity. The Austrian Chamber of Doctors called for stringent data protection standards, staff training, and crisis management systems in healthcare facilities.
German hospitals, like the Schleswig-Holstein University Hospital, are gradually recovering from the outage and plan to resume elective surgeries soon.
Contributors: Stephen Graham in Berlin and Technology writer Matt O’Brien.
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