Just to refresh your memory, on July 19, some of the largest airlines, banks, and other essential services in many parts of the world came to a halt as a massive power outage rocked the entire globe. The blackout, which caused the Blue Screen of Death on thousands of Windows machines around the world, is linked to one software company: CrowdStrike. On July 19, CrowdStrike’s value was over $83 billion; after the blackout, it has dropped to just under $60 billion.
Let’s get back to the awards: The unexpected victory came immediately after a prominent presence at Black Hatwhere CrowdStrike had a large booth and gave away free merchandise. The company’s message to attendees, according to a spokesperson, was one of gratitude and appreciation for the community.
According to reports, most customers seem willing to give CrowdStrike a second chance
Sentonas’ acceptance speech, which was widely shared online, was met with surprising enthusiasm. The Pwnie Awards audience, like the Black Hat attendees, seemed ready to give CrowdStrike a second chance. The award itself came at the last minute, a humorous acknowledgment of the company’s recent mistake.
Accepting the ridiculously large trophy, Sentonas acknowledged the mistake but stressed that the company is willing to learn from its mistakes. He promised to display the award prominently at CrowdStrike’s headquarters as a constant reminder of the importance of protecting users.
The company’s public response was seen as a bold strategy to restore trust and transparency. By admitting failure in such a public way, CrowdStrike aims to demonstrate its commitment to accountability and improvement.
