A major tech outage on Friday disrupted flights, shut down banks, and took media outlets off the air. This global disruption highlighted how much we rely on a few software providers.
According to cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, the outage wasn’t caused by a security issue or cyberattack. Instead, it happened when a faulty update was sent to computers running Microsoft Windows. Although a fix was on the way, the chaos grew for hours.
Key Points about the Global Tech Outage:
– Cause of the Outage: CrowdStrike identified that a faulty Microsoft Windows update was the cause.
– New York City: Mayor Eric Adams assured that critical infrastructure and emergency operations, including the 911 system, were unaffected. Public transportation services also continued to operate normally.
– Maryland: All courts, offices, and facilities were closed to the public due to the outage but remained open for emergencies. The Maryland Department of Emergency Management raised its alert level and activated its emergency operations center.
This incident underscores our heavy dependence on technology and the potential widespread impact of software issues.
How to Protect Your Company:
Having a Chief Information Officer (CIO), a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), and a strong IT team can help your company avoid such issues. Here’s how:
– Proactive Monitoring: A dedicated IT team can monitor systems and catch potential problems before they cause major disruptions.
– Regular Updates and Patches: CIOs and CISOs ensure that software updates are tested thoroughly before being deployed to prevent faulty updates from causing outages.
– Disaster Recovery Plans: A solid IT team will have disaster recovery and business continuity plans in place to keep your company running smoothly during tech outages.
– **Security Measures:** CISOs implement robust cybersecurity measures to protect against cyberattacks and other security incidents.
By investing in a skilled IT team and having strong leadership from a CIO and CISO, your company can better navigate and mitigate the risks associated with technology dependencies.
Let us get you started. Reach out today.