Inside CrowdStrike, the cybersecurity firm behind the global tech ...
The infamous "blue screen of death" - caused by an update glitch from cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike - at Washington DC's Reagan National Airport. (Photo by Andrew Leyden/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Behind a massive IT failure that grounded flights, upended markets and disrupted corporations around the world is one cybersecurity company: CrowdStrike Holdings.
Known as a dominant supplier of software that protects businesses from ransomware attacks, CrowdStrike was thrust into the spotlight on Friday as it struggled to fix a faulty patch that led to cascading, system-wide failures, paralyzing the operations of clients ranging from banks to global retail giants to health-care systems on Friday.
CrowdStrike was founded by former executives of antivirus pioneer McAfee and launched in 2012. It has grown into the leading maker of a relatively new type of security software that’s considered among the best defenses against ransomware and other hacking threats. It controls about 18% of the $8.6 billion global market for so-called “modern” endpoint protection software, just ahead of archrival Microsoft, according to market research firm IDC.
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