Editor’s Note: Check out our frequently updated live blog All the new developments regarding the Microsoft/CrowdStrike outage.
In the latest global IT outage, a software update error from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike crippled millions of Windows PCs, causing billions of dollars in losses across industries as diverse as air transportation, retail and banking.
However, Mac devices are not affected because Apple’s macOS operating system does not grant core-level access to third-party app makers, preventing the catastrophic bug that causes the dreaded “blue screen of death” on Windows PCs.
Now, Microsoft says it can’t implement the same protections because of a long-standing agreement with the European Commission.
Mix and match speed of light
In a statement to the Wall Street Journal, a Microsoft spokesperson said the company “cannot legally quarantine its operating system, as Apple does because of the understanding it reached with the European Commission after receiving complaints.”
This refers to a 2009 agreement in which Microsoft pledged to provide third-party security application developers with the same level of access to the Windows operating system as Microsoft itself. In contrast, Apple deprived third-party developers of core access rights as early as 2019 when it launched macOS Catalina.
Microsoft releases simpler CrowdStrike fix
A faulty CrowdStrike update wreaked havoc on IT systems around the world as it crashed a large number of Windows PC systems. A fix cannot be easily deployed because the system crashes again immediately upon reboot, causing a condition known as a “reboot loop.”
CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz said in a letter to customers and partners that steps are being taken to prevent “something like this 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) doesn’t wreak havoc on the global IT infrastructure again.
We’ve asked Microsoft for comment on this issue and will update this article when we hear back.
