MACS-IMUM POWER
‘So pleased I have a Mac’ gloat Apple fans after rogue update breaks Microsoft Windows PCs in ‘biggest IT outage ever’
Experts have revealed their predictions for how long this nightmare will drag on for
APPLE fans are gloating that their Mac computers are working just fine – as a global outage takes Windows PCs offline around the world.
Described as the "world's worst IT outage", the software update bug prevented Microsoft's Windows computers from booting up.
8
8
8
It's launched the world into a day of computer chaos, with supermarkets, banks, airlines, and even hospitals reporting IT problems.
The problem was caused by a bungled software update from CrowdStrike – which makes security software for businesses – that triggered the dreaded "Blue Screen of Death" on Windows PCs.
And amid the IT bedlam, the age-old rivalry between Windows and Mac users has reared its head.
A thread on the main Apple Reddit forum about the issue – and how it doesn't affect Mac computers – has received hundreds of "upvotes" or likes.
Read more on global IT outage
One user shared the iconic meme of the smiling young child standing in front of the burning house, captioning it: "Mac users right now."
Another said: "Well that's a relief."
One added: "So pleased I have a Mac."
And another responded to the news with the grinning face emoji.
Most read in Tech
CrowdStrike itself confirmed that "Mac and Linux" are "not impacted" by the dodgy update.
Airlines ground planes over ‘comms outage’ and flights forced to stay in air from global cyber outage
The other good news is that regular Windows PC users aren't impacted either.
CrowdStrike's update was on the Falcon tool, which is a security service for businesses specifically.
So only work computers powered by Windows (and specifically using the tool that was updated) will have been affected by the issue.
The update causes Windows computers to get stuck in a "boot loop" that prevents them from switching on properly.
8
What is CrowdStrike?
THE global cyber outage affecting TV channels, banks, hospitals, airports and emergency services appears to relate to an issue at cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike.
IT security firm CrowdStrike ran a recorded phone message on Friday - saying it was aware of reports of crashes on Microsoft's Windows operating system relating to its Falcon sensor.
A prerecorded message said: "Thanks for contacting CrowdStrike support. CrowdStrike is aware of reports of crashes on Windows... related to the Falcon sensor."
The Falcon system monitors the computers it is installed on and detects hacks and bugs before responding to them.
CrowdStrike, headquartered in Austin, Texas, says it is a global security leader which provides an advanced platform to protect data.
A CrowdStrike update on Friday is said to have caused a critical error in Microsoft operating systems, affecting millions worldwide.
The company regularly updates systems with new anti-virus software
Toby Murray, associate professor in the School of Computing and Information Systems at The University of Melbourne, Australia said: "If Falcon is suffering a malfunction then it could be causing a widespread outage for two reasons .
"One: Falcon is widely deployed on many computers, and two: because of Falcon's privileged nature.
"Falcon is a bit like anti-virus software: it is regularly updated with information about the latest online threats.
"It is possible that today's outage may have been caused by a buggy update to Falcon.".
Cyber expert Troy Hunt told Australian TV network Seven: “It looks like they've pushed a bad update, which is presently nuking every machine that takes it.”
Early signs of the outage were spotted in Australia as businesses came online before the rest of the world.
Problems quickly spread around the world, with Sky News going completely offline in the UK.
And in the UK, US, and globally, airlines, banks, and even hospitals have been affected.
In a statement sent to The U.S. Sun, CrowdStrike said that a fix had been released: "CrowdStrike is actively working with customers impacted by a defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts.
8
8
It continued: "This is not a security incident or cyberattack. The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed."
Sadly some devices will need to be manually repaired.
Experts have told The U.S. Sun that this could lead to fallout that drags on for "weeks".
“The fallout from incidents like these can be extensive and prolonged," said Al Lakhani, the CEO of security firm IDEE.
CROWDSTRIKE BLAMED – CEO'S FULL REPLY
Here's an official statement from CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz...
“Today was not a security or cyber incident.
“Our customers remain fully protected.
“We understand the gravity of the situation and are deeply sorry for the inconvenience and disruption.
“We are working with all impacted customers to ensure that systems are back up and they can deliver the services their customers are counting on.
“As noted earlier, the issue has been identified and a fix has been deployed.
“There was an issue with a Falcon content update for Windows Hosts. For the latest information that we will continuously update, please refer to the CrowdStrike website, my posts on LinkedIn, and my posts on X.
“ will continue to provide updates to our community and the industry as they become available.”
"In terms of restoring every affected computer to full operation, the recovery could span hours, days, or even weeks.
"This is because it is a supply chain attack.
"These are particularly damaging because a single compromised software update can impact thousands of organizations globally.
"Leading to severe consequences including service disruptions, theft of intellectual property, and threats to national security.”
8
8
We also spoke to Patrick Burgess, senior member of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, who said: “It will likely to take weeks to fully recover as millions of devices have been affected and they all need a manual fix applied.
“I would imagine the core impact will start to abate in the coming hours and days though as the central servers are fixed as a priority.”
Earlier today, experts warned The U.S. Sun that hackers could even try to replicate this kind of nightmare IT outage.
"Ransomware groups and malicious actors will be looking on in envy at the disruption caused this morning," Jano Bermudes, partner at security firm CyXcel, told us.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
IT OUTAGE SCAMMERS – BEWARE!
Beware the scammers, warns Sean Keach, The Sun's Head of Technology and Science.
This is going to cause a flurry of dangerous online scams.
Whenever major tech events happen like this, the criminals come crawling out of the woodwork to take advantage of innocent internet users.
You might find yourself receiving strange calls, texts, or emails, warning you about a hack and asking for info.
So be extremely cautious if you’re being asked for personal data, like your credit card info or phone number, to fix this IT outage.
You might also be told you need to download some security software urgently.
That’s another classic scam that lets crooks install dangerous malware on your machines.
Don’t fall for it: your computer should be totally fine, so you don’t need to take any action as a regular person.
This wasn’t a cyberattack – it’s just a bad computer update for businesses. Don’t listen to the scammers.
A Microsoft spokesperson told The U.S. Sun. “Earlier today, a CrowdStrike update was responsible for bringing down a number of IT systems globally.
"We are actively supporting customers to assist in their recovery.”