Microsoft Estimates 8.5m Computers Disabled in Global IT Outage
Massive Cyber Event: 8.5 Million Computers Disabled Worldwide by IT Outage
In a shocking development, Microsoft has revealed that an estimated 8.5 million computers around the world were disabled by a global IT outage. This incident, caused by a corrupted software update from security company CrowdStrike, is being described as potentially the worst cyber event in history.
According to Microsoft, this figure is less than 1% of all Windows machines worldwide, but the economic and societal impacts are significant due to the critical services run by enterprises using CrowdStrike.
David Weston, vice-president at Microsoft, emphasized the importance of quality control checks on updates before deployment, highlighting the need for safe operating procedures and disaster recovery mechanisms in the tech ecosystem.
This IT glitch is already considered one of the worst cyber-incidents in history, surpassing previous hacks and outages, such as the WannaCry cyber-attack in 2017.
The fallout from the outage has raised concerns among cybersecurity experts about opportunistic hacking attempts linked to the incident. Cyber agencies in the UK and Australia are warning the public to be vigilant against fake emails, calls, and websites pretending to be official.
CrowdStrike head George Kurtz advised users to verify the authenticity of sources before downloading fixes to avoid falling prey to adversaries and bad actors exploiting the situation for malicious purposes.
As hackers adapt their methods to capitalize on fear and uncertainty surrounding major events, cybersecurity agencies are urging IT responders to rely only on official sources for information and assistance.
Individuals are also advised to stay hyper vigilant and to act only on verified information from legitimate CrowdStrike channels to protect themselves from potential cyber threats.
The scale and impact of this IT outage serve as a stark reminder of the critical importance of cybersecurity practices in today’s technology-driven world.