CrowdStrike sends gift card to those affected by global outage

CrowdStrike has recently found itself at the centre of a global IT crisis after a botched software update caused significant disruption.

In response to the inconvenience caused by this flaw, which affected millions of computers around the world, the company has decided to issue $10 Uber Eats gift cards as a gesture of apology to its affected partners.

The fault and its impact

The incident, which occurred on July 19, 2024, was triggered by a faulty software update that CrowdStrike deployed to its security systems. This update triggered the dreaded “blue screen of death” (BSOD) on over 8.5 million Windows devices, rendering them inoperable. The repercussions were felt across multiple sectors, including airlines, hospitals, supermarkets, telecommunications providers, and emergency services, causing major disruptions to operations globally.

Airports in major cities including Amsterdam, Berlin, Dubai, London and several locations in the United States reported grounded flights, leaving thousands of passengers stranded. In the healthcare sector, hospitals faced disruptions to their systems that hampered the delivery of critical services. The incident highlighted the heavy reliance of modern infrastructure on reliable cybersecurity measures and the potential chaos that can arise from technical glitches.

Apologies and compensation

In an effort to mend fences with its partners, CrowdStrike decided to issue $10 Uber Eats gift cards. These gift cards are being distributed via email, accompanied by a letter of apology. The email, shared by multiple recipients on social media platforms like Twitter, includes a heartfelt message from CrowdStrike, acknowledging the inconvenience caused by the outage and expressing gratitude for partners’ understanding and patience during the crisis. The company hopes that this small gesture can provide a moment of relief amid the disruptions caused by the outage.

The email message reads: “To express our gratitude, your next cup of coffee or late-night snack is on us!” It also contains a QR code that recipients can use to redeem their gift card.

However, this gesture has been met with mixed reactions. While some appreciate the attempt at compensation, others have criticised the move, considering the severity of the outage and the scale of the disruption it caused. Furthermore, reports have emerged that some of the gift cards are not working properly. Recipients in several regions, including Australia, have reported errors when trying to redeem the cards, receiving messages stating that the vouchers had been cancelled by the issuing party and were no longer valid.

Challenges and future prospects

CrowdStrike’s decision to compensate with $10 gift cards has sparked a conversation about the appropriateness of such measures to address large-scale technical failures. The company’s reputation has taken a hit, and it is now under scrutiny for both the initial software failure and subsequent issues with the gift cards.

George Kurtz, founder and CEO of CrowdStrike, issued a public apology, emphasizing the company’s commitment to resolving the issue and restoring normalcy for its customers. “I want to sincerely apologize directly to all of you for the disruption,” Kurtz said. He said the company had quickly identified the issue and deployed a fix, and that restoring customers’ systems was its top priority.

The situation underscores the importance of thorough testing and quality assurance in software updates, especially for cybersecurity companies whose products are critical to the operation of global infrastructures. As CrowdStrike works to rebuild its reputation, the industry will be closely watching how they handle this crisis and what measures they implement to prevent future incidents.

Keep reading:
– What is Crowdstrike, the cybersecurity software that caused chaos due to global computer blackout
– Microsoft releases tool to fix CrowdStrike bug
– “The scale of this disruption is unprecedented”: Windows computer outage affects everyone