It’s an early Aloha Friday morning and for many it will be one to remember!  We want to inform you about a recent series of significant outages impacting various industries across the nation, including hotels, banks, airlines, and other major services.

Overview of the Incident

In recent hours, a major global IT outage has affected several critical sectors, causing disruptions in services and operations. This widespread issue was primarily triggered by a faulty update from CrowdStrike, which led to numerous systems experiencing the infamous Windows “blue screen of death” (BSOD) error. The resulting downtime has caused significant inconvenience and operational challenges for many businesses.

Cowabunga! Computers does not deploy CrowdStrike to any of its computers or servers under management, so the impact to your computer and daily business should be minimal. Because of the sheer number of other businesses being disrupted as well as news reporting on this issue, we wanted you to simply be aware this should not affect any of Cowabunga! Computers managed services users.

Industries Affected

The impact of this outage has been extensive, affecting:

• Airlines: Major airlines such as Delta, United, and American Airlines faced flight delays and cancellations due to communication system failures.
• Banks: Financial institutions experienced interruptions in online banking services and ATM networks.
• Hotels: Hospitality services saw disruptions in reservation systems and guest management processes.

Cause and Implications

The root cause of this widespread disruption was a problematic update from CrowdStrike, a leading cybersecurity firm. This update, designed to enhance security, inadvertently caused severe compatibility issues with Microsoft Windows systems, leading to widespread crashes and operational halts.

Our Commitment to Your Security

At Cowabunga Computers, we understand the critical nature of these outages and are committed to ensuring your business remains secure and resilient. Here’s how we’re supporting you:

1. Enhanced Monitoring: We are closely monitoring all systems to detect and address any anomalies promptly.
2. Proactive Measures: Implementing additional safeguards to prevent similar issues from affecting your operations.
3. 24/7 Emergency Support: Providing round-the-clock support to assist with any concerns or technical issues you may encounter.

Are you using CrowdStrike? Have you been affected?

If you are not currently a customer but suspect you may be affected by these issues and cannot get a timely response from your current provider, we invite you to reach out to us. Our team is ready to provide the support and solutions you need.

Thank you for your continued trust in Cowabunga Computers. Together, we can ensure the security and resilience of your business.