CROWDSTRIKE DEEP DIVE INTO THE GLOBAL WINDOWS COMPUTER OUTAGE

The CrowdStrike event offered a rare opportunity to compare the security, stability, and safety of the Mac platform against its Windows counterpart.

In late July, the cybersecurity world was rocked by a significant incident: a defective update from CrowdStrike, a leading provider of endpoint protection software, caused a global IT outage that crippled millions of Windows computers. But what does this mean for the Mac?

THE CROWDSTRIKE INCIDENT

While Windows users experienced widespread disruptions, Mac users remained unaffected, highlighting the differences between these two operating systems. CrowdStrike’s global IT outage underscored the vulnerability of interconnected global supply chains. According to data from Interos, the outage impacted 674,620 direct customer relationships of CrowdStrike and Microsoft, with over 49 million indirect relationships affected worldwide. The U.S. bore the brunt of the disruption, with 41% of impacted entities. Major ports and air freight hubs in Europe and Asia reported significant disruptions, affecting global trade and logistics, resulting in several days of disruption.

Ports from New York to Los Angeles and Rotterdam experienced temporary shutdowns, while air freight faced the hardest blow, with thousands of flights grounded or delayed. The semiconductor supply chain, heavily reliant on air freight, was particularly affected. U.S. companies faced increased cyber risks during the outage, as standard security protocols were harder to implement, leaving outdated and up-to-date crucial infrastructure systems more vulnerable than ever to cyberattacks.