25 July 2024

What is CrowdStrike, and how did it cause a global Windows outage?

Nick Robins

A global technology outage on Friday grounded flights, disrupted health services, crashed payment systems and blocked access to Microsoft services in what experts believe is one of the largest IT failures in history.

The cause of the disruptions originated from a cybersecurity firm called CrowdStrike, which provides software to a wide range of industries. An update to one of CrowdStrike’s pieces of software, Falcon Sensor, malfunctioned, throwing a wrench into computers running Windows, leading to major tech failures around the world, the company said.

Here’s what we know about the outage so far.

What is CrowdStrike?

CrowdStrike is an American cybersecurity firm founded in 2011 and based in Austin, Texas. Since its inception, the company has grown rapidly as it began to offer a range of security services using cloud-based software. It has raised millions in funding from Silicon Valley powerhouses such as Google’s venture capital arm. It employs thousands of workers and services businesses in countries across the globe, boasting on its website that it protects 538 out of the Fortune 1000 companies.

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