Dan Sodergren - reporting on the world stage on the world's biggest IT outage in history...
Dan Sodergren - reporting on the world stage on the world's biggest IT outage in history...
Microsoft / Crowdstrike's Global Outage: What Can The World Learn?
Unless you have been living under a rock, and perhaps even if you have been, you will have seen the reports on the global outage that occurred. Which meant my Friday was instantly busy. As asked by a lot of media companies to report on what had happened. By 10am I had done 4 radio interviews and 1 TV slot...
And that was before being able to walk the dog!
So what happened?
The Great Outage
Last week, cybersecurity giant Crowdstrike faced a major hiccup—a global IT outage that left many of its clients scrambling. Imagine logging in to check your company's security status and finding... nothing. That's what happened to numerous businesses worldwide when Crowdstrike's Falcon platform went dark due to a critical cloud infrastructure failure. Talk about a cybersecurity wake-up call!
But the bigger problem was what it took out with its update. Pretty much the operating system of 10 millions machines world wide. So it knocked out planes, trains and (not quite automobiles) but so much of the modern world’s travel and banking and even the NHS that we all must have a think about what this means for the future.
Check out the full story on the BBC News.
The Ripple Effect
The recent global IT outage that rattled the cybersecurity world and exploring what it means for the future of work and technology. The outage caused quite a stir, disrupting businesses that rely heavily on Crowdstrike’s tools for threat detection and cybersecurity management.And also more importantly the Microsoft OS which it took down too.
It was a stark reminder of how interconnected and dependent we've become on technology. And how human error can cause even the best in the biz to have an off day! For more details, read the BBC’s take on the impact of the outage.
Expert Insights
I was brought in, with my Tech guru Dan Sodergren hat on, to weigh in on the situation in over 10 different interviews on radio and TV and across the world. My favourite perhaps being the Australian news station - as it was a bit of bucketlist moment for me.
I was also in the BBC documentary. Which amusingly got interrupted as Biden stepped down from the presidency (another came to fame…as it happened just as I was speaking … Lol)
In this documentary I try to highlight the importance of robust disaster recovery plans and diverse cybersecurity measures. And also to the world not relying on one company for so much of it’s technology.
This is NOT Microsoft bashing. It’s just the fact, the more different systems people use the less there is one point of failure. Which is why China was not affected. As they don’t use Microsoft technology as much as we do.
Silver Linings and Solutions
Now for some good news! Microsoft quickly stepped in with a new recovery tool designed to help affected businesses bounce back. This collaboration shows that when tech giants come together, we can overcome even the toughest challenges. And we hope quickly…
…but things might take longer than we think.
And I wonder who fits the bill for the #BSOD (the blue screen of death)
And also, what does this all mean for us in the grand scheme of things?
Here are a few takeaways:
Expect the Unexpected: As our reliance on technology grows, so does the need for foolproof backup and recovery plans. Keep your disaster recovery plans up-to-date and test them regularly.
Embrace Flexibility: Outages and disruptions are a part of the tech landscape. Flexibility in your work environment, such as adopting remote and hybrid work models, can help mitigate these impacts.
Stay Informed: Keep an eye on the latest developments in technology and cybersecurity. Staying informed helps you anticipate and prepare for potential issues.
Invest in Resilience: Whether it's upgrading your tech infrastructure or training your team in cybersecurity best practices, investing in resilience is crucial.
What Can We Do?
This is a list of leaders of businesses rather than for employees. But it’s still worth thinking about. Especially in this time of AI. Which is why I have launched the AI Leadership Course.
Review Your Tech Stack: Regularly audit your technology tools and services. Ensure they have robust support and recovery mechanisms.
Train Your Team: Cybersecurity is everyone's responsibility. Regular training can help your team recognize and respond to threats quickly.
Diversify Your Tools: Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Using multiple cybersecurity tools can provide a safety net in case one fails.
In conclusion, while the Crowdstrike outage was a significant disruption, it also served as a valuable lesson in the importance of preparedness and resilience in the tech-driven world. And it could have been a lot worse. So I guess we should also be grateful for small mercies and that it wasn’t a planned cyber attack.
What do we do for the next time? Well… Let’s take these lessons to heart and continue to innovate and adapt in our ever-evolving digital landscape.And maybe our governments can remind profit hungry tech companies to think before they deploy buggy code. And to take more care next time. Will they listen? I don’t know. But let’s hope they do as next time, it might be more than 10 million machines. It could be 10 million AI’s