Last week, CrowdStrike, a Texas-based cybersecurity company, made headlines for all the wrong reasons.

After causing a massive Microsoft outage that resulted in a staggering $5.4 billion in losses, the company has been ridiculed for its attempt to make amends with customers.

Instead of a substantial gesture, CrowdStrike opted to send out $10 Uber Eats gift cards as a way of apologizing.

The apology came in the form of an email paired with the food vouchers. The message read, “And for that, we send our heartfelt thanks and apologies for the inconvenience.

To express our gratitude, your next cup of coffee or late-night snack is on us!” This attempt at goodwill seemed to miss the mark for many who were affected by the outage.

The incident was triggered by a massive software update from CrowdStrike that led to widespread computer crashes.

The update, which was supposed to enhance their ‘Falcon Sensor’—a tool that uses AI to detect cyber threats—backfired spectacularly.

The infamous ‘Blue Screen of Death’ became a common sight for users around the globe, grounding airlines and disrupting thousands of flights.

Delta Airlines only managed to return to full service a week later.

Crowdsourcing a Solution

In response to the fallout, CrowdStrike has outlined steps to prevent future issues.

The company plans to halt large-scale updates that could lead to worldwide disruptions and is set to enhance its verification processes to catch faulty code. Despite these promises, the $10 Uber Eats vouchers, which were flagged as fraudulent due to high usage rates, have not fully restored trust.

The Road Ahead

While the gift cards were intended as a goodwill gesture rather than compensation for lost profits, CrowdStrike remains silent on whether they will offer any financial restitution.

With lawsuits expected to follow, the company’s apology might not be enough to settle the growing discontent among its customers.