Editor’s Note:Discover our frequently updated live blog for all new developments concerning the Microsoft/CrowdStrike outage.
THE recent global computer outagein which a faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike caused millions of Windows PCs to crash, causing billions of dollars damages worth $1,000 across a number of industries, including air Transportretail and banking.
Mac devices were not affected, however, because Apple’s macOS operating system does not grant third-party app makers kernel-level access, preventing the type of catastrophic error that led to the dreaded “blue screen of death” on Windows PCs.
Today, Microsoft says it was unable to put the same protections in place because of a long-standing agreement with the European Commission.
Speed of Light Mashable
In a statement made to the the wall street journalA Microsoft spokesperson said the company “cannot legally partition its operating system in the same way that Apple does because of a settlement reached with the European Commission following a complaint.”
This refers to a 2009 Agreementin which Microsoft committed to giving third-party security application developers the same level of access to its Windows operating system that Microsoft itself enjoys. In contrast, Apple removed access to the kernel from third party developers in 2019, when macOS Catalina was launched.
The flawed CrowdStrike update was devastating to computer systems around the world as it caused a system crash on a multitude of Windows PCs. A fix could not be easily deployed because the systems would immediately crash upon reboot, causing a condition called a “reboot loop.”
In a letter to customers and partners, CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz said the company is taking steps to prevent “this kind of thing from happening again.” The question, however, is what steps Microsoft should take to ensure that a small update to third-party software (CrowdStrike or otherwise) can’t wreak havoc on the world’s IT infrastructure again.
We’ve asked Microsoft for comment on this issue and will update this article when we hear back.
