Adrian Johnson
TLDR:
- 8.5 million Windows computers affected by CrowdStrike update
- 97% of affected sensors now back online
Companies are still struggling to recover from CrowdStrike’s crippling Falcon update which caused widespread issues ranging from downed medical systems to flight delays. Healthcare organizations were hit hard, with about half of the Health Information Sharing and Analysis Center members affected. Only 18% of organizations have fully recovered so far, with some still needing up to 25% of their systems restored. The outage has cost Fortune 500 companies an estimated $5.4 billion, with healthcare and banking sectors taking the biggest hits.
CrowdStrike estimates that 97% of affected computers are now back online, but some organizations are still working through the recovery process. Recovery can be time-consuming as each system needs an average of 15 minutes to restore, requiring physical access and potentially encryption key input. Companies, including Nerdio, have been working over the weekend to address the aftermath of the update.
Healthcare organizations have resorted to manual backups and contingency plans to mitigate the impact of the outage. CrowdStrike’s update came on the heels of an Azure outage, further highlighting the need for robust disaster recovery strategies in the face of technology failures. Despite the challenges, companies will continue to rely on cybersecurity firms like CrowdStrike to protect their endpoints, acknowledging the inherent risks associated with software development in the security industry.
Overall, the fallout from the CrowdStrike update serves as a reminder of the importance of proactive cybersecurity measures and the need to continuously strengthen resilience against potential threats.
