Pentagon Maintains Vigilance After CrowdStrike Disruption

The Department of Defense is closely monitoring its IT infrastructure after a faulty CrowdStrike software update caused widespread outages to Microsoft systems.

While some Pentagon components report no disruptions, a department spokesperson said it continues to observe its networks for possible issues, DefenseScoop reported.

The faulty update, which was attributed to CrowdStrike’s Falcon security platform, affected global operations of various sectors, including banks, airports and health care.

Many DOD branches rely on Microsoft Windows products such as Microsoft 365 and Power BI. Some of them, including the Defense Health Agency, the Pentagon Inspector General’s Office and the U.S. Transportation Command, confirmed that their operations were not affected.

Meanwhile, the Department of the Navy and the U.S. Cyber Command did not discuss their network status for security reasons.

Gen. Charles Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, confirmed no current impact on military operations at the Aspen Security Forum. Brown, a 2024 Wash100 awardee, said the incident is a reminder of the vulnerabilities inherent in today’s digitally reliant environment and called for increased cybersecurity preparedness at all levels, from government agencies to individual citizens.

CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz has since clarified that the outage was not due to a cyberattack and that they are working with affected customers to deploy the company’s solution.