• Bad antivirus definition triggers shutdowns

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    ISSUE 21.29.1 • 2024-07-20

    Susan Bradley

    By Susan Bradley

    It was a really bad day for IT admins.

    Late Thursday night, the security protection company CrowdStrike sent a bad antivirus definition file to its entire customer base. Because this faulty data file inserts itself into the Windows kernel, Windows does what it was designed to do — it goes directly to the blue screen of death (BSOD).

    Most of us can rest easy. CrowdStrike is not a product for the consumer or for a very small business. It’s an enterprise product, and thus its impact was widely seen in very large companies, triggering service interruptions for airlines, banks, healthcare providers — worldwide.

    Read the full Plus Alert (21.29.1, 2024-07-20).