CrowdStrike Admits Bug Caused Major IT Outage

CrowdStrike has admitted that a bug in its content validation system led to a faulty software update, causing a global outage that affected approximately 8.5 million Windows devices. The crash impacted critical sectors including aviation, healthcare, and banking, with disruptions lasting several days. In response, CrowdStrike has pledged to improve its update processes by implementing staggered rollouts and enhancing internal testing. Amid the chaos, the company offered $10 Uber Eats gift cards to partners, though some vouchers were initially deactivated due to suspected fraud. CEO George Kurtz has been summoned by the US Congress to address the incident and outline preventive measures. The outage has led to significant financial and reputational damage for CrowdStrike, with shares plummeting nearly 30%.