Nabilah S
In the wake of a major global IT outage that affected approximately 8.5 million Microsoft Windows devices globally, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology of Samoa has announced that it is vigilantly observing the situation.
Lefaoalii Unutoa Auelua-Fonoti, the Chief Executive Officer of MCIT, attributed recent disruptions to a software update from CrowdStrike’s Falcon Sensor software. CrowdStrike, a prominent cybersecurity company, develops Falcon Sensor to safeguard systems against cyber threats.
Last Thursday, CrowdStrike issued an alert to its users about a glitch in the Falcon Sensor that caused Windows systems to experience BSOD (Blue Screen Of Death) errors. Although the company retracted the update causing the issue, numerous systems continue to be impacted.
Lefaoalii has reported that a widespread IT outage, currently affecting Microsoft users, is disrupting crucial sectors such as healthcare, media, finance, airlines, and local governments.
The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MCIT) has issued a warning about potential hacking attempts that could exploit this outage. Lefaoalii urges IT departments and the public to seek guidance and support from the Ministry’s specialized SamCert unit.
Furthermore, Lefaoalii noted that several malicious websites have begun circulating codes they claim can assist customers in recovering from the outage.
The MCIT strongly advises all customers to obtain information solely from CrowdStrike sources or to reach out to the SamCert Team via email at [email protected].
The Ministry is fully prepared to tackle and resolve any technical problems that may emerge,” states the MCIT CEO confidently.
The widespread disruption caused by the recent software update has significantly impacted various sectors, including healthcare, media, finance, technology, and local government. Samoa, a user of Microsoft products, may experience effects on certain operating systems, excluding Linux and Apple platforms.
This incident is not linked to any security breach or cyberattack but is rather an IT-related issue.
The Ministry strongly recommends that organizations instruct their IT personnel to restore computer system files and ensure that backup storage for files and systems is maintained at all times to safeguard against digital emergencies.
We continue to track the latest developments and response efforts related to this incident, which has significantly impacted major services worldwide. Initially reported on Friday, July 19, 2024, the event has caused substantial disruptions across global services.
Microsoft has confirmed that various disruptions affected their services overnight on July 18th, all of which have now been addressed. However, the primary source of the ongoing issues is a software update from CrowdStrike, impacting their Falcon cybersecurity tool.
This update has specifically targeted Microsoft Windows devices, triggering a continuous cycle of crashes and reboots, which has led to some confusion regarding the nature of the service disruptions.
CrowdStrike has already rolled out a correction for this issue, which should resolve automatically for most users, though some may need to take manual steps to fix the problem.
It has come to the attention of MCIT that certain malicious websites are distributing codes they claim can assist in recovery from these disruptions. MCIT advises all users to rely exclusively on information from official CrowdStrike sources or to reach out to the SamCert Team at [email protected] for verified support.
