CrowdStrike back online

A faulty software update from CrowdStrike on July 19 led to a massive global IT outage, affecting approximately 8.5 million Windows computers and resulting in an estimated $5.4 billion in losses for Fortune 500 companies. CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz reported that more than 97% of the impacted systems have been restored as of July 25, while acknowledging the disruption caused and apologizing to affected customers. The outage significantly disrupted various sectors, including aviation, banking, and healthcare, with Delta Airlines among the hardest hit, canceling thousands of flights. The root cause was identified as a defect in the update's validation process, prompting CrowdStrike to implement new recovery measures. While the immediate recovery appears nearly complete, the company faces scrutiny and criticism over its communication strategy and the incident itself. Lawmakers have called for further investigation into the circumstances surrounding the outage.