Microsoft Blames EU for CrowdStrike Windows Disaster

Failure Crowdstrike which affected millions of computers Window continues to grab headlines around the world. Although the cybersecurity firm and Microsoft As the weekend progressed to restore the downed systems, the issue remains a source of controversy, with a Redmond spokesman fanning the flames by saying At least some of the blame for the scale of this incident lies with the European Union..

This is clear from the data included in the extensive report. The Wall Street Journal. In the end, a Microsoft representative assured the media that the company It is illegal to block third parties like CrowdStrike from accessing the Windows kernel.This is related to the “understanding” the Americans reached with the European Commission in late 2009 following a complaint.

What does this mean? That Microsoft is obliged to allow companies developing cybersecurity tools to have the same level of access to Windows as the creators of the operating system themselves. In theory, this measure was taken to increase competition and prevent Redmond from monopolizing the market with utilities like Microsoft Defender at the point of connection. However, the CrowdStrike case showed that a failure in a solution operating at the Windows kernel level leads to dire consequences.

The agreement reached between Microsoft and the European Commission states that Provide third-party access to Windows APIs (both consumer and server versions) and related documentation.This is established by the public commitment made by the corporation:

“These APIs will be documented on the Microsoft Developer Network unless public publication would create a security risk. […] “Microsoft will provide third-party security vendors with access to such APIs pursuant to a royalty-free license and on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms.”

Microsoft Says Europe Is Responsible for Scale of CrowdStrike Bug

Microsoft means that because CrowdStrike and other companies have access to the Windows kernel, what happened on friday can happen again. Although the story doesn’t end there, as other tech companies like Google and Apple aren’t under the same level of regulatory scrutiny.

In 2020, the Cupertino natives made a change that prevents third-party apps from accessing the macOS core, although Mountain View has also implemented a similar protective barrier in Chrome OS.

This whole issue is likely to open up a new avenue of debate. It’s not entirely clear which direction it might go. Will Microsoft use the CrowdStrike incident to try to change the terms of its agreement with Europe and restrict third-party access to the Windows kernel? Will the European Commission try to apply rules similar to those that govern Windows to macOS and Chrome OS? There’s no way to know at this point.

It’s obvious that this is the case it is not closed and promises to give us much more to talk about. The CrowdStrike bug affected about 8.5 million Windows computers worldwide. According to Microsoft, that’s less than 1% of its entire ecosystem; even so, it was enough to paralyze banks, airlines, airports, and thousands of other companies around the world.