crowdstrike outage explained

On July 19, 2024, the digital world came to a screeching halt as a faulty update from cybersecurity giant CrowdStrike wreaked havoc on approximately 8.5 million Microsoft Windows systems worldwide. This "largest outage in the history of information technology" crippled critical services across the globe, leaving businesses, emergency services, and hospitals, governments, and individuals scrambling to regain control of their digital lives. Imagine the chaos as over 1,500 flights were canceled in the United States alone, with another 1,000 delayed. Delta Air Lines suffered the highest impact, with 36% of its flights canceled and 45% delayed even 72 hours after the initial outage. How could a single software update ground entire fleets and strand countless passengers?