The recent CrowdStrike outage served as a stark reminder of the importance of IT resiliency and backup strategies.
The CrowdStrike outage in July 2024 was a significant incident with global repercussions, shaking various sectors worldwide. The disruption stemmed from a faulty update to CrowdStrike’s Falcon cybersecurity platform. A flawed “sensor configuration update” for Windows systems led to widespread system crashes, causing chaos across industries on a massive scale.
Global fallout
- Healthcare: Hospitals and clinics faced severe disruptions, leading to delayed or cancelled appointments and procedures. The healthcare sector alone faced an estimated loss of $1.94 billion.
- Banking and Finance: Financial institutions encountered substantial issues with transaction processing and online services, causing an estimated $1.15 billion in losses.
- Airlines: The aviation sector experienced massive disruptions, with thousands of flights cancelled or delayed, resulting in c.$860 million in losses.
- Fortune 500 Companies: Many large enterprises relying on CrowdStrike’s software suffered operational disruptions, leading to an estimated $5.4 billion in direct losses.
Response and recovery
The effects of the CrowdStrike outage lasted for several days. Although CrowdStrike quickly addressed the issue by rolling back the faulty update within 90 minutes of its release, the recovery process was complex and required manual intervention to delete the problematic file from the affected systems. As a result, businesses, especially those with extensive networks or remote workers, faced prolonged challenges in fully restoring operations, compounded by difficulties in accessing recovery keys
CrowdStrike has since committed to enhancing its quality control processes to prevent future incidents. This includes developing new checks and balances within their Content Validator and considering a staggered release strategy for updates to allow more effective monitoring.
Lessons learned from the CrowdStrike outage
The CrowdStrike outage has exposed critical vulnerabilities within our interconnected digital ecosystems.
- The fallout also made it clear that having a rock-solid backup and recovery strategy isn’t optional — it’s crucial. When manual fixes are needed, you’ll want a well-practised plan to minimise downtime and avoid data loss.
- This incident exposed just how interconnected our digital systems are. A glitch in one area can send shockwaves across multiple sectors — healthcare, finance, aviation, and more. This interconnectedness means that a single point of failure can have massive consequences, so building resilience is essential.
- Proactive monitoring and testing came into sharp focus too. Rigorous testing and staged rollouts of updates can catch issues early and prevent widespread chaos.
- Lastly, the chaos highlighted the need for clear communication and efficient response plans. Companies need to be ready to communicate effectively with stakeholders and have a solid crisis response plan in place to tackle issues swiftly and confidently.
By learning from these lessons, businesses can better safeguard their operations against future disruptions and build a more resilient IT infrastructure.
“At Redstor, we understand the critical importance of resilience and reliability in cybersecurity. The recent CrowdStrike outage is a powerful lesson that even the most advanced systems can face unexpected challenges. We’re committed to ensuring our solutions not only recover data swiftly but also maintain robust safeguards against such disruptions. Our proactive approach and continuous improvements are designed to keep our partners and their customer’s operations running smoothly, no matter what.”
Alex Brown, Chief Product and Technology Officer, Redstor
Redstor’s strategies for safeguarding your business from cyber threats
In the face of growing cyber threats and unexpected outages, Redstor equips your business with the tools needed to stay resilient and ahead of potential disruptions.
Instant file access with InstantData™
Redstor’s InstantData™ technology ensures you’re never left waiting. It provides immediate access to your data, even before the full recovery is complete. Imagine it as a lifeboat ready before the ship even starts sinking.
Proactive threat management
With Redstor, proactive malware protection continuously monitors and addresses potential threats within your backups. Think of it as having a vigilant security team that never sleeps, keeping your backup data safe and your operations running smoothly.
Cloud-first agility
Redstor’s cloud-first approach keeps your data agile and scalable, allowing for rapid recovery. It’s like having your data always on standby, prepared to tackle any challenge and keep your business running without a hitch.
Reliable data recovery
Redstor’s intelligent recovery tools swiftly restore your data, whether lost to cyberattacks, accidental deletion, or system failures. Consider it a time machine that undoes any mistake, getting you back on track in no time.
Get in touch
The CrowdStrike outage underscores the critical need for robust IT resiliency and backup strategies. With Redstor, you’re not just bouncing back; you’re building a resilient, future-proof IT environment. Don’t let outages disrupt your operations. Get in touch with us today or start a free trial to ensure your business stays protected and thrives with Redstor.