Microsoft has revealed how many devices it believes were affected by a global IT outage related to a software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike.
The update on Friday triggered systems problems that grounded flights, forced broadcasters off the air, and left customers without access to services such as healthcare or banking.
"We currently estimate that CrowdStrike's update affected 8.5 million Windows devices, or less than one per cent of all Windows machines," Microsoft said in a blog post on Saturday.
"While the percentage was small, the broad economic and societal impacts reflect the use of CrowdStrike by enterprises that run many critical services."
CrowdStrike has helped develop a solution that will help Microsoft's Azure infrastructure accelerate a fix, Microsoft said, adding that it was working with Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform, sharing information about the effects Microsoft was seeing across the industry.
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Scam warnings in wake of outage
Government cybersecurity agencies across the globe and even CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz are warning businesses and individuals about new phishing schemes that involve malicious actors posing as CrowdStrike employees or other tech specialists offering to assist those recovering from the outage.
"We know that adversaries and bad actors will try to exploit events like this," Kurtz said in a statement.
"I encourage everyone to remain vigilant and ensure that you're engaging with official CrowdStrike representatives."
Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil said any emails or phone calls from strangers claiming to be from CrowdStrike or offering to help you reboot your system should be treated as suspicious.
"If someone has called you and is suggesting that they are going to help you, talk you through a reboot of your system, I would hang up the phone," she told reporters in Melbourne on Saturday.
The nation's cyber-intelligence organisation, the Australian Signals Directorate, has also warned people to beware of hackers releasing malicious websites and code purporting to help fix the outage.
If you suspect you have been scammed, you should contact your bank and report the incident to Scamwatch.
