Microsoft Reports 8.5 Million Devices Hit by CrowdStrike-Related Outage

A global tech outage caused by a software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike impacted approximately 8.5 million Microsoft devices, according to a blog post by Microsoft on Saturday.

“We currently estimate that CrowdStrike’s update affected 8.5 million Windows devices, or less than one percent of all Windows machines,” Microsoft stated in the post.

The update from CrowdStrike, a major player in the cybersecurity sector, led to widespread system issues that disrupted flights, interrupted broadcasts, and left customers unable to access essential services such as healthcare and banking.

“While the percentage was small, the broad economic and societal impacts reflect the use of CrowdStrike by enterprises that run many critical services,” Microsoft noted.

To address the issue, CrowdStrike has collaborated with Microsoft to expedite a resolution for Microsoft’s Azure infrastructure. Microsoft also mentioned working with Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform to share information about the industry-wide effects of the outage.

The air travel sector was working to recover from the outage that resulted in thousands of flight cancellations and significant delays, with passengers facing long waits and disruptions at airports.

Delta Air Lines, among the airlines most affected, reported that by 10 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT) on Saturday, more than 600 flights had been canceled, with further cancellations anticipated.