Is Microsoft down? Here's what you need to know about recent CrowdStrike fiasco

“Is Microsoft down right now?” is probably a question that everybody’s asking recently.

Thousands of Windows PCs and desktops reported the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) on July 19, 2024, which affected TV stations, airports, supermarkets, hospitals, and even the Paris Olympics. Some airports, including the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, India, even had to resort to filling details of passengers manually.

But, how did that happen?

CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity firm, has taken responsibility, as the issue was affected by a problem with its Falcon Sensor software. The company released an update that caused a widespread disruption affecting major platforms such as Microsoft 365, Meta’s popular apps like Instagram, and even airline communications. Amazon Web Services (AWS), on the other hand, was not affected. Per the AWS Health Dashboard, the company says that “AWS services and network connectivity were also not affected by this event and continued to operate normally.”

The company has since rolled back the problematic update, but many systems remain impacted. Users are advised to report issues to their system administrators and avoid opening support tickets directly with CrowdStrike, as the company is actively working on a resolution.

Microsoft says in an update on its service page that all affected apps, like Outlook and OneDrive for Consumer, are now back and running again.

The fiasco could have a lasting effect on the business as CrowdStrike’s csagent.sys kernel driver has never caused Windows blue screen in the past. At the time of this publishing, CrowdStrike’s share value decreased by roughly 3%, and it’s expected for companies to shift away from the cybersecurity firm.

CrowdStrike has now issued a fix. George Kurtz, the company’s CEO, says on X that the issue stemmed from “a defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts.”

“The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed. We refer customers to the support portal for the latest updates and will continue to provide complete and continuous updates on our website,” he further continues in a statement that seemingly offers no apology whatsoever.

Ouch.