CrowdStrike IT outage affected 8.5 million Windows devices, Microsoft says

Microsoft has estimated that 8.5 million computers were disabled by a global IT outage caused by a corrupted software update from security company CrowdStrike.

This figure suggests it may be the worst cyber event in history, surpassing incidents like the 2017 WannaCry attack.

Microsoft highlighted the importance of quality control in updates and disaster recovery mechanisms.

The outage has led to warnings of opportunistic hacking attempts, with cyber agencies advising vigilance against fake emails, calls, and websites.

CrowdStrike's head, George Kurtz, urged users to verify communications and rely on official channels for information and fixes.