CrowdStrike outage: Hackers taking advantage amid chaos [Video]

Cybercriminals are already capitalizing on the chaos from Friday’s massive global tech outage by promoting fake websites filled with malicious software designed to compromise unsuspecting victims, according to warnings from the U.S. government and multiple cybersecurity professionals.

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Hackers have been setting up phony websites meant to appeal to people seeking information on, or solutions to, the worldwide IT meltdown but in reality are designed to harvest visitors’ information or to breach their devices, the security experts said.

The fraudulent sites use domain names that include keywords such as CrowdStrike — the cybersecurity firm behind a faulty software update that led to the crisis — or “blue screen,” which is what computers affected by the CrowdStrike glitch display when they boot up.

The fraudulent sites may try to lure victims in by promising a quick fix to the CrowdStrike issue or scam them with offers of fake cryptocurrency.

In a bulletin …