Microsoft, 8.5 million devices affected by the update are down –

“We currently estimate that the CrowdStrike update affected 8.5 million Windows devices, or less than 1% of all Windows machines. While the percentage was small, the broad economic and social impacts reflect the use of CrowdStrike by enterprises that run many critical services.” Microsoft said in an update on the IT disruption.

“On July 18, CrowdStrike, an independent cybersecurity firm, released a software update that began impacting IT systems globally. While this was not a Microsoft incident, as it impacts our ecosystem, we wanted to provide an update on the steps we have taken with CrowdStrike and others to remediate and support our customers,” the company explains, explaining that “we have maintained ongoing communication with our customers, CrowdStrike, and external developers to gather information and expedite resolutions.” Microsoft, in summarizing the measures taken to address the emergency, recognizes “the disruption this issue has caused to businesses and the daily routines of many individuals. Our goal is to provide customers with technical guidance and support to safely bring their disrupted systems back online.”