CrowdStrike Glitch: 40% of Major Israeli Organizations Still Affected

Over the weekend, a software update malfunction by CrowdStrike affected thousands of organizations worldwide, including in Israel.

This morning (Sunday), the Israel National Cyber Directorate (INCD) reported that although it was not a cyberattack, it handled the crisis that emerged in many organizations in Israel over the weekend due to the software malfunction in CrowdStrike's technology.

The directorate leveraged its expertise and capabilities developed for managing widespread crises in the country and its technological familiarity with critical sectors. It provided a situation overview, guided the desired resolution, maintained contact with CrowdStrike representatives, and addressed issues to enable a rapid return to operational continuity.

Teams from the directorate visited some essential organizations, primarily in the health sector, and assisted in restoring computer functionality.

Currently, the situation overview indicates that out of approximately 30 large and essential organizations in the economy that experienced the malfunction, about 60% have fully overcome it, around 26% are in advanced updating processes of computer stations, and about 14% of the organizations will begin treatment today. Among the organizations in Israel that experienced the malfunction are entities in the health, transportation, financial, energy, communications, academia, and local government sectors.

Over the weekend, the directorate identified various criminal groups and Iranian attack groups attempting to exploit the malfunction by sending phishing messages impersonating CrowdStrike, offering updates or technical support that contained malicious files. The directorate warned organizations and issued an alert on the matter.