The computer update on Friday caused chaos in Detroit subway systems and affected airlines, infrastructure, banks, and healthcare, delaying flights at Detroit Airport, slowing traffic on the Ambassador Bridge to Canada, and even leading to the closure of a college in Dearborn.
A software glitch created confusion and chaos as people were waking up, going to work, or trying to travel, since in many cases the software update interfered with other systems working, and the public was unaware of what exactly was happening.
The software error that led to such sudden widespread problems also caused a failure in Microsoft Windows, and some users experienced a blue screen, which dissatisfied computer users sometimes call the "Blue Screen of Death".
But gradually, over the course of the day, the situation improved for many as patches were applied, although the long-term issues related to such outages drew the attention of the tech industry and the White House, which offered its support.
Dag Witten, an associate professor of computer science at Wayne State University, noted that these incidents are an example of how vulnerable and interconnected our digital systems are, and why protection against threats from criminals, terrorists, and foreign governments is vital.
Witten, who was stuck in traffic on the Blue Water Bridge on Friday, said that this chaos was just an example of what could happen if malicious actors deliberately damage the country's or the world's cyber systems.
Last year's Government Accountability Office report confirmed Witten's observations, noting that federal systems are vulnerable to cyberattacks, and adding that protecting critical cyberinfrastructure, such as the power grid, is extremely necessary.
The update that caused the failure involved a product related to the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, based in Austin, reports Reuters. The cybersecurity firm stated it was aware of the problem, which also affected Microsoft's Windows operating system, but, according to Microsoft representatives, it has been fixed.
The chaos was so extensive because this software is used by many of the largest companies in the country. CrowdStrike claimed in its promotional video that more than half of the companies on the Fortune 500 list — the ranking of the largest American companies by revenue compiled by Fortune magazine — use it.
CEO of CrowdStrike George Kurtz, who, according to the White House, maintained contact throughout the outage, proactively took to social media to reassure the public that the issue was caused by a glitch, a failed update, and not something more sinister.
"This is not a security incident or cyberattack," Kurtz said in a statement.
He recommended that clients contact the company's technical support for the latest updates. The problem was identified, isolated, and fixed.
Kurtz added that the company “is working with affected clients to address the defect discovered in one update of Windows host content. Mac and Linux hosts were not affected,” and advises organizations to ensure they interact with CrowdStrike representatives through official channels.
