A recent bad update from cyber security company CrowdStrike for their Falcon software caused computers and laptops to become unusable, able only to display the so-called “blue screen of death.”
Jan Thornborough of Kāpiti based cyber security firm Outfox says this was not a cyberattack, or any other sort of malicious action.
She says it was a mistake made by CrowdStrike in their software. The Falcon software is sold mainly to large so home or small business users are unlikely to use it and therefore won’t be affected.
However, Ms Thornborough says cyber agencies around the world are detecting a surge of malicious phishing emails trying to cash in on the recent CrowdStrike problem.
“Any emails or other messages claiming to be from CrowdStrike or offering to protect your PC against the CrowdStrike issue, will be malicious phishes attempting to get you to load malware onto your system. Do not respond to the messages, and do not click on any links in them.”
Ms Thornborough says if you are a CrowdStrike customer, consult your CrowdStrike Customer Portal or vendor representative for information about the issue.
“For everyone else, you do not need to do anything at all. Only PCs with CrowdStrike software installed on them were affected, so unless you or the company that you work for purchased CrowdStrike, your PC is perfectly safe.
“If you are at all concerned, or have responded to one of these fake emails contact your IT provider immediately, or reach out to your local Cyber Resilience firm Outfox.co.nz “
Outfox: 2023 Winner of the ISANZ Best Cybersecurity Start-Up/Small Business award.
2024 Finalist BX International awards
