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What was the reason for the global computer failure on July 19?

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By Julian Castillo

19 Jul 2024, 11:00 AM EDT

In an event that has affected millions of people around the world, a computer failure has caused serious problems in the operation of various cloud servicesContrary to early speculation suggesting a global cyber attack, the reality is that the cause of the problem was more technical and less malicious.

This was revealed after Microsoft announced that The root of the outage was due to a security software updatespecifically the Falcon sensor of CrowdStrike Falcon.

We’re aware of an issue with Windows 365 Cloud PCs caused by a recent update to CrowdStrike Falcon Sensor software. This is being communicated under WP821561 in the admin center. (Cont…)

— Microsoft 365 Status (@MSFT365Status) July 19, 2024

The Falcon sensor is a crucial tool for the protection of computer systems, designed to detect and prevent threats. However, The update carried out on July 19 caused an unexpected adverse effect on Microsoft’s infrastructureimpacting its ability to ensure the uptime of its cloud services. This setback affected tens of thousands of Microsoft 365 customers who depended on the stability and security of these services for their daily operations.

Microsoft’s global impact and response

The magnitude of this disruption cannot be underestimated. Microsoft cloud services, including Azure and Microsoft 365, are critical to a vast number of businesses. and individuals around the world. The problematic Falcon sensor update caused performance and accessibility issues, leading to significant service disruption.

Microsoft, aware of the seriousness of the situation, acted quickly to identify and communicate the cause of the problem. Through its official channels, Microsoft clarified that the failure was not the result of a cyber attackbut rather a faulty security software update. The company posted several messages on its @MSFT365Status account to keep users informed about the situation and the steps to be taken.

In one of its posts, Microsoft explained: “We are investigating an issue with the CrowdStrike Falcon sensor that has impacted the operability of our cloud services.” It was later confirmed that the best way to resolve the issues was to restore previous versions of Windows 365 Cloud PC to a date before the July 19 update.

How to solve the fault

For those users still experiencing issues, Microsoft has provided a clear and straightforward solution: rrestore the system to a version prior to the problematic update.

This process involves reverting Windows 365 Cloud PC virtual machines to a state prior to July 19, before the Falcon sensor update was deployed. This measure should resolve operational issues and allow users to return to their normal activities without major interruptions..

Microsoft has also assured its users that it is working closely with CrowdStrike to prevent a similar incident from occurring in the future. Thorough investigations are underway to better understand how the Falcon sensor update was able to cause such a significant impact and to improve testing and deployment procedures for software updates in the future.

Keep reading:
– What is Crowdstrike, the cybersecurity software that caused chaos due to global computer blackout
– Microsoft services failure causes global collapse of banks, flights and other companies
– What is “hallucination” in artificial intelligence and why is it one of the most potentially dangerous flaws in this technology?