Before a faulty software update dragged the company's name into global headlines on Friday, Crowdstrike had a long history of involvement with US intelligence agencies, and played a key role in the 'Russiagate' hoax.

Crowdstrike released a defective update to its cloud-based security software on Friday that left an array of users around the world – including banks, airlines, media outlets, and government agencies – unable to use their IT systems. 

The company issued a fix within several hours of the problem being identified, but thousands of flights remained canceled or delayed into Friday afternoon, while hospitals, police departments, and businesses continued to report issues getting back online.