Tech disruptions sparked by software update highlight the fragility of globally connected technology

Airlines, banks, hospitals and other risk-averse organizations around the world chose cybersecurity company CrowdStrike to protect their computer systems from hackers and data breaches. “What really causes this mess is that we rely on very few companies, and everybody uses the same folks, so everyone goes down at the same time.” The trouble with the update issued by CrowdStrike and affecting computers running Microsoft’s Windows operating system was not a hacking incident or cyberattack, according to CrowdStrike, which apologized and said a fix was on the way. Across the world Friday, affected computers were showing the “blue screen of death” — a sign that something went wrong with Microsoft’s Windows operating system. Kurtz is also a driver for a CrowdStrike- After his initial statement about the problem was criticized for lack of contrition, Kurtz apologized in a later social media post Friday and on NBC’s “Today Show.” “We understand the gravity of the situation and are deeply sorry for the inconvenience and disruption,” he said on X. Richard Stiennon, a cybersecurity industry analyst, said this was a historic mistake by CrowdStrike. “This is easily the worst faux pas, technical faux pas or glitch of any security software provider ever,” said Stiennon, who has tracked the cybersecurity industry for 24 years.