MICROSOFT said that the CrowdStrike update that grounded hundreds of fights around the world besides disrupting online services affected 8.5 million systems using the Windows operating software, which was less than 1 per cent of Windows devices, but the impact was disproportionately vast as it reflected the use of CrowdStrike by enterprises that run many critical services.

 

The IT giant said in a statement that it is “working around the clock and providing ongoing updates and support”. CrowdStrike is a leading cybersecurity firm whose software update to customers on Friday impacted computer systems using Microsoft’s Windows operating system that grounded an estimated 1,400 flights, from the US to the UK to the Netherlands, Germany, Hong Kong, and Dubai. It also disrupted medical and banking services and local transport systems in many American cities.