CrowdStrike apologises for Microsoft outage, offers $10 gift card to affected IT workers

CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity firm, recently apologized for an incident that caused about 8.5 million computers worldwide to crash. The company offered a $10 gift card to affected users as a gesture of goodwill. Many people received an email from CrowdStrike acknowledging the inconvenience and providing an Uber Eats voucher.

CrowdStrike Apologises in Email

A screenshot of the email circulated online, showing the $10 Uber Eats voucher. The email read, “We recognize the additional work that the July 19 incident has caused. And for that, we send our heartfelt thanks and apologies for the inconvenience.” The company added, “To express our gratitude, your next cup of coffee or late night snack is on us! Access your UberEats credit by using code: [code number].”

Issues with Gift Card Redemption

Some users faced problems redeeming the voucher. They reported receiving error messages stating that the gift card had been “cancelled by the issuing party and is no longer valid.”

Microsoft Outage Incident

The incident began on July 19, when a faulty update from CrowdStrike caused millions of Windows computers to become inoperable. This led to significant disruptions across various sectors, especially those relying on strong IT infrastructure.

Impact on Aviation and Healthcare

The aviation industry was hit hard, with thousands of flights cancelled or delayed globally. Airport operations faced disruptions, causing long queues and inconvenience for passengers.Similarly, the healthcare sector experienced major challenges. Hospitals and clinics had system outages, leading to postponed surgeries, disrupted patient care, and difficulties accessing critical medical records.

CrowdStrike’s Response

CrowdStrike issued a preliminary report stating that the crashes were due to a faulty update to its Falcon sensor. The update aimed to improve threat detection but resulted in Windows systems crashing.”These updates are a regular part of the dynamic protection mechanisms of the Falcon platform. The problematic Rapid Response Content configuration update resulted in a Windows system crash,” the company explained. They also noted that the defective update was reverted on the same day.