Priya Patel
TLDR:
Key Points:
- Tech outages swept the world on Friday due to a software update by CrowdStrike.
- CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz reassured customers that it was not a security incident.
In a worldwide tech outage on Friday, major companies were affected, including Microsoft, due to a software update sent out by cybersecurity company CrowdStrike. CEO George Kurtz reassured customers that it was not a security incident or cyber attack. Kurtz, a successful tech entrepreneur and race car driver, has extensive experience in the industry, previously working for rival firm McAfee. Despite the drop in personal fortune and company value, Kurtz remains valued at around $3.1bn, living in Paradise Valley, Arizona.
Full Article:
On Friday, tech outages swept the world from hospitals and airlines to banks and courts. A worldwide glitch caused major companies, including Microsoft, to experience downtime due to a software update sent out by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike. CEO George Kurtz reassured customers that it was not a security incident or cyber attack.
Kurtz, with extensive experience in the industry, had previously worked for rival cybersecurity firm McAfee and is listed as an internationally recognized security expert, author, entrepreneur, and speaker. Despite a drop in net worth following the outages, Kurtz remains valued at $3.1bn.
Kurtz co-founded CrowdStrike in Irvine, California, in 2012 and the company went public in 2019. The cybersecurity firm, known for stopping breaches, lost $9bn overnight on Thursday as reports of the outages emerged, dropping from $83.5bn to $74.2bn on Friday afternoon.
The company came into the public eye in 2016 when it was hired by the Democratic National Committee to investigate a leak of its emails. CrowdStrike identified Russian intelligence groups attempting to hack US government entities, including the White House and Hillary Clinton’s election campaign.
Despite the challenges faced during the tech outage, Kurtz apologized deeply to all affected and assured customers that the problem had been identified, isolated, and fixed. He remains active in his personal pursuits, including race car driving and living with his family in Paradise Valley, Arizona.
