Image source, Getty Images
- Author, John Da Silva
- Role, Business reporter
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Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike said a “significant number” of devices impacted by a global IT outage on Friday are now back online.
In a social media post, the company – whose faulty security update caused Microsoft Windows computers to crash around the world – added that it “continues to focus on restoring all systems”.
Businesses, banks, hospitals and airlines were among the hardest hit, and some are still struggling to fully restore their systems.
“We understand the profound impact this has had on everyone. We know that our customers, partners and their IT teams are working tirelessly and we are extremely grateful,” CrowdStrike said.
“We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.”
The company also said it was implementing a new fix that it hopes will speed up the recovery of computer systems.
However, CrowdStrike did not say how many devices were still affected.
More than 1,400 flights, to and from the US, were canceled on Sunday, according to flight tracking and data platform FlightAware.
Delta and United Airlines are the US airlines most affected.
Health services in the UK, Israel and Germany were also affected on Friday, with some services cancelled.
This massive disruption has highlighted the vulnerability of global computer networks, showing how a single disruption can cause global chaos.
“Today, a single disruption often results in system-wide disruptions, affecting industries ranging from health care and airlines to banking and auto dealerships,” U.S. Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan said in a social media post.
“This incident reveals how concentration can create fragile systems.”
Until this incident, the company was one of the most trusted brands in the cybersecurity industry.
According to CrowdStrike’s website, it has 29,000 customers worldwide, including some of the largest companies in the US.
China is also not as dependent on Microsoft as other countries in the world.
