CrowdStrike is facing backlash after a faulty driver update caused a widespread outage affecting millions of Windows machines. The company is attempting to appease customers with $10 Uber Eats gift cards, but some users are reporting issues redeeming the codes.
CrowdStrike, the cybersecurity company behind a massive IT outage that affected millions of Windows machines, has revealed that a bug in its own internal code-testing software allowed faulty code to be released, causing widespread blue screens of death. The bug, which missed problematic data within a new update to the company’s Falcon Sensor software, led to an ‘out-of-bound memory read’ that triggered critical boot failures.
Hackers have leaked internal documents stolen from Leidos Holdings, a major IT services provider to the US government. The leaked documents, reportedly obtained from a 2022 breach of Diligent Corp.’s Steele Compliance Solutions subsidiary, contain information gathered from internal investigations. While Leidos is investigating the incident, the leak raises concerns about the security of sensitive information shared with the company by its numerous government and commercial clients, including the US Defense Department, Department of Homeland Security, and NASA.
In a surprising move, cybersecurity startup Wiz has turned down a $23 billion acquisition offer from Alphabet, Google’s parent company. Despite the lucrative offer, Wiz’s leadership, backed by investors, has chosen to remain independent and focus on their own ambitious plans. The company aims to reach $1 billion in annual recurring revenue and eventually go public.
A 2009 deal between Microsoft and the European Union, aimed at promoting competition, has come under scrutiny following a recent cybersecurity incident involving CrowdStrike. The deal granted third-party vendors, including CrowdStrike, kernel-level access to Windows machines, leading to a software flaw that caused widespread blue screen of death errors on millions of machines.
A massive database leak containing 769 million records belonging to Mexican businesses was discovered, exposing critical information such as bank account numbers, tax identification numbers, and email addresses. The database belonged to ClickBalance, a leading ERP technology provider in Mexico, and contained sensitive data like API keys, secret keys, and access tokens. ClickBalance has since secured the database, but the incident highlights the critical need for robust cybersecurity measures.
A faulty update on CrowdStrike’s Falcon platform caused a widespread outage last Friday, impacting businesses across various industries. While Microsoft and CrowdStrike have released solutions to address the issue, recovery efforts are ongoing, with some companies like Delta Airlines still struggling to fully recover. The outage, caused by a defect in a Falcon content update for Windows hosts, impacted 8.5 million PCs, but Mac and Linux systems were not affected. Both Microsoft and CrowdStrike have provided detailed instructions and guidance to assist users in restoring their systems.
Following a widespread IT outage caused by an error in a Windows host update, CrowdStrike warns of scammers and hackers exploiting the situation. The company has confirmed malicious activity targeting users, urging vigilance and communication through official channels. Cybersecurity agencies are also monitoring for malicious activity related to the outage.
McAfee+ Premium offers solid antivirus protection with a good track record and unlimited device coverage. However, its pricing is high after the initial discount, and the app’s design is a bit awkward. While McAfee shares some user data, its security features are reliable and customer support is responsive.
A global outage affecting millions of devices was caused by a CrowdStrike update on July 18. Microsoft, whose services were impacted, deployed hundreds of engineers to help customers restore their systems. The outage disrupted businesses and even grounded airlines in India, highlighting the interconnected nature of the tech ecosystem and the importance of safe deployments and disaster recovery.
