Friday started off with a bang as the cyber world was thrown into turmoil. With airlines in the United States facing communication issues with the FAA and major airlines grounding operations worldwide, it seemed like the world was on the brink of disaster. Screens at airports turned blue, FIDS systems crashed, and chaos reigned as the systems that were meant to protect us from hackers inadvertently caused more harm than good.
The culprit behind this mayhem was CrowdStrike, an American cybersecurity firm whose update caused a domino effect of outages and disruptions. Microsoft also found itself in hot water as machines running ‘CrowdStrike Falcon’ were affected. While all this was going on, the narrative took a lighter turn when one of the episodes from Steve Carell’s Space Force series, courtesy of Jimmy O Yang’s genius, caught viral fire.
How the Microsoft Outage Impacted Businesses Worldwide?
Employees of banks, emergency services, hospitals, airlines, and other businesses across the globe were forced to watch the dreaded ‘blue screen of death’ on Friday due to a technological meltdown that caused what is being called a historic outage (via CBS News).
Troy Hunt, an internet security analyst, stated via X that
The problem, which affected the majority of services, was caused by a flawed update by CrowdStrike (see NY Times), an American cybersecurity firm whose systems are designed to protect users from hackers. CrowdStrike CEO and President, George Kurtz, stated yesterday that “it could be some time for some systems” to recover.
However, he also disclosed that its cloud service platform, Azure, had experienced an earlier outage that affected American users. It is possible that some users were impacted by both. Businesses had to manually update their systems to fix the issue, which persisted in the U.S. morning on some systems even after CrowdStrike released a fix.
According to Statcounter, Microsoft continues to hold a dominant market share of more than 72% for desktop operating systems worldwide. Although its security software is primarily utilized by enterprises and large organizations, not all of those machines are directly impacted by the CrowdStrike issue.
Steve Carell’s Space Force Sequence Resonates With Microsoft- Crowdstrike Outage
As the world battled with the fallout of the Microsoft-CrowdStrike outage, a light-hearted distraction emerged in the form of Steve Carell’s highly relatable Space Force series. Netflix’s workplace comedy has captured viewers’ hearts with its wit, humor, and potentially earth-shattering ending.
One scene in particular (second season, episode: The Hack), featuring Jimmy O Yang and Don Lake, has struck a chord with fans who found parallels to the real-life tech struggles happening in the world.
In the sequence, you can see Dr. Chan, played by Jimmy O Yang, was faced with a daunting task by General Bradley Gregory (Don Lake). When asked to recalculate thruster data for the satellite, Dr. Chan humorously informed the General that it would take 49 minutes because of the uninvited update (see YouTube):
General, I won’t be able to calculate the right data for the satellite for 49 minutes.
Frustrated by the delay, Bradley Gregory’s exasperated cry of “F***, Microsoft!” echoed the sentiments of many viewers who have experienced their own tech struggles.
In a twist of events in the series, Space Force’s headquarters falls victim to a Russian hack, putting the American satellite Blue Oyster Cult in jeopardy. With quick thinking and deception, the team manages to outsmart the hackers and save the satellite from disaster. This success leads to the Space Force gaining recognition and resources, only to face a new threat in the form of a giant asteroid hurtling toward Earth.
Despite mixed reviews for the first season, the second season of Space Force has been met with more positive feedback, receiving a 90% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics have praised the show for finding its stride and delivering on what matters most (see Variety). While not as “sleek or ambitious” as its initial season, Space Force has found its footing and is gaining momentum with viewers.
With its clever wit and relatable characters, this series is a must-watch for those looking to lift their spirits and enjoy a humorous take on the complexities of technology and space exploration.
Space Force is streaming on Netflix.
