CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc., headquartered in Austin, Texas, is a US-based cybersecurity firm specializing in cloud workload and endpoint security. Their offerings encompass threat intelligence and services designed to counter cyberattacks. Notably, CrowdStrike has played a pivotal role in probing significant cyber incidents, including the Sony Pictures breach in 2014, the cyber offensives targeting the Democratic National Committee (DNC) spanning 2015-2016, and the email leak incident impacting the DNC in 2016.
2011: CrowdStrike Founded
CrowdStrike was founded in 2011, marking the beginning of its journey in the cybersecurity industry.
2012: Shawn Henry Joins CrowdStrike
Former FBI official Shawn Henry joined CrowdStrike in 2012 to spearhead CrowdStrike Services, Inc., focusing on proactive and incident response services.
June 2013: CrowdStrike Launches CrowdStrike Falcon
CrowdStrike launched its inaugural product, CrowdStrike Falcon, in June 2013, marking the company's entry into the endpoint protection, threat intelligence, and attribution market.
May 2014: CrowdStrike Assists US Department of Justice in Charging Chinese Military Hackers
In May 2014, CrowdStrike's reports proved instrumental in assisting the US Department of Justice in charging five Chinese military hackers with economic cyber espionage targeting US corporations.
2014: CrowdStrike Uncovers Evidence Implicating North Korea in Sony Pictures Hack
Following the Sony Pictures hack, CrowdStrike unearthed evidence that pointed to the involvement of the North Korean government, shedding light on the attack's origins and methods.
2014: CrowdStrike Investigates Sony Pictures Hack
In 2014, CrowdStrike was involved in the investigation of the Sony Pictures hack, a significant cybersecurity event.
May 2015: CrowdStrike Releases Information about VENOM Vulnerability
CrowdStrike disclosed information about VENOM in May 2015, a critical vulnerability in the open-source hypervisor Quick Emulator (QEMU) that could expose sensitive personal information.
July 2015: Google Invests in CrowdStrike's Series C Funding
Google participated in CrowdStrike's Series C funding round in July 2015, demonstrating confidence in the company's growth potential.
October 2015: CrowdStrike Identifies Chinese Hackers Targeting Tech and Pharma Companies
CrowdStrike revealed its discovery of Chinese hackers targeting technology and pharmaceutical companies in October 2015, raising concerns about economic espionage despite agreements between the US and China.
2015: CrowdStrike Investigates Cyber Attacks on the DNC
CrowdStrike played a crucial role in investigating the cyber attacks targeting the Democratic National Committee in 2015.
December 2016: CrowdStrike Reports Russian Hack of Ukrainian Artillery App
In December 2016, CrowdStrike published a report alleging that Fancy Bear, a Russian government-affiliated group, had breached a Ukrainian artillery app, resulting in significant losses for Ukrainian artillery units.
2016: CrowdStrike Investigates DNC Email Leak
In 2016, CrowdStrike was involved in investigating the email leak that involved the Democratic National Committee, highlighting the company's expertise in cybersecurity.
2016: Debunked Conspiracy Theory Emerges Regarding CrowdStrike and DNC Hack
During the Trump–Ukraine scandal, a conspiracy theory surfaced claiming that Ukraine used CrowdStrike to orchestrate the 2016 DNC hack and frame Russia. This theory, which appeared on platforms like Breitbart.com, Russia Today, and Sputnik, has been widely debunked.
March 20, 2017: James Comey Testifies About CrowdStrike's Findings on DNC Hack
On March 20, 2017, then-FBI Director James Comey testified before Congress, stating that CrowdStrike, Mandiant, and ThreatConnect had reviewed evidence of the DNC hack and concluded with high certainty that it was the work of APT 28 and APT 29, known to be Russian intelligence services.
2017: CrowdStrike Achieves $1 Billion Valuation
In 2017, CrowdStrike achieved a significant milestone by surpassing a $1 billion valuation and generating an estimated annual revenue of $100 million, solidifying its position as a major player in the cybersecurity industry.
June 2018: CrowdStrike Valued at Over $3 Billion
CrowdStrike's valuation surpassed $3 billion in June 2018, reflecting the company's rapid growth and success in the cybersecurity market.
May 2019: CrowdStrike Raises $480 Million in Funding
By May 2019, CrowdStrike had successfully raised a total of $480 million through its Series D and Series E funding rounds, solidifying its financial standing.
June 2019: CrowdStrike Goes Public on Nasdaq
CrowdStrike went public in June 2019 with an initial public offering (IPO) on the Nasdaq stock exchange, marking a significant milestone for the company.
September 2020: CrowdStrike Acquires Preempt Security
CrowdStrike acquired Preempt Security, a provider of zero trust and conditional access technology, for $96 million in September 2020, enhancing its security offerings.
February 2021: CrowdStrike Acquires Humio
CrowdStrike acquired Humio, a Danish log management platform, for $400 million in February 2021, aiming to integrate Humio's log aggregation capabilities into its XDR offering.
December 2021: CrowdStrike Moves Headquarters to Austin, Texas
CrowdStrike relocated its headquarters from Sunnyvale, California to Austin, Texas in December 2021.
2023: CrowdStrike Introduces CrowdStream Service
CrowdStrike collaborated with Cribl.io to launch the CrowdStream service in 2023, further expanding its product portfolio.
June 2024: CrowdStrike Joins S&P 500 Index
CrowdStrike was added to the prestigious S&P 500 index in June 2024, a testament to its financial performance and market influence.
July 19, 2024: CrowdStrike Update Causes Global Disruptions
On July 19, 2024, a CrowdStrike update triggered Blue Screens of Death on millions of Microsoft Windows computers worldwide, causing boot loops and significant global disruptions, including grounded flights, Sky News outage, and impacts on 911 emergency call centers.
2024: CrowdStrike Driver Update Causes Global Cyber Outages
In 2024, an update to CrowdStrike's Falcon Driver security software led to widespread cyber outages worldwide, impacting various systems and services.