Microsoft Blames EU Regulations for Widespread System Crashes Linked to CrowdStrike Update

It was a challenging end to the week for Microsoft, the software company CrowdStrike, and all its customers worldwide. The mishap that many are familiar with caused BSOD and extensive issues for various sectors, including banks and airlines, marking it as one of the most significant documented IT incidents in history.

As probes progress to uncover the source of the failure, accountability is being cast in various directions. Microsoft is now attributing a considerable portion of the problems to the EU, which mandated that Microsoft provide third-party developers with the same kernel access as Windows.

The Wall Street Journal reports that CrowdStrike's error had such a catastrophic impact because its security software, Falcon, operates at the core level of Windows, known as the kernel. As a result, the update to Falcon triggered a crash, disabling the core part of the operating system and leading to the blue screen of death.

A Microsoft representative explained that the company is legally unable to restrict its operating system in the manner Apple does due to an agreement with the European Commission following a grievance. In 2009, Microsoft committed to allowing makers of security software the same access level to Windows that Microsoft itself has.

Apple, which once offered similar kernel access to third-party manufacturers, chose to eliminate this access a few years ago specifically for security reasons—a move Microsoft could not replicate because of its arrangement with the EU.

What are your thoughts on this situation, and did you experience any effects from the CrowdStrike incident last week?