Microsoft Blames European Commission For Global CrowdStrice Disaster

JAKARTA - Microsoft made a controversial statement calling the global disruption to Windows PCs caused by demands by the European Commission. In fact, blackouts that closed airports, stopped hospitals, and shut down television stations were actually caused by a Windows update. Security firm CrowdStrice issued a defect update, which is recognized to create this problem.

However, Microsoft is now telling the Wall Street Journal that the reason such an update could have such a huge and global impact was the European Commission's fault.

Specifically, a spokesperson said that an agreement with the European Commission meant Microsoft was legally not allowed to secure its system as Apple did.

Reportedly, in 2009, Microsoft agreed with the European Commission that it would provide equal access to Windows security developers as they gave to their own team. Therefore, CrowdStrice can issue its own update without Microsoft having to find out first.

Some say this statement is Microsoft's way of washing hands on this issue. However, this is also more than just that.

Because Microsoft is effectively saying that they can't, but certainly won't do anything to prevent this from happening again.

The Wall Street Journal notes that in 2020, Apple notified security developers that it will no longer have kernel access for their software. Microsoft security developers still have this type of access to Windows.