A previously obscure software company is now a household name across the world after global chaos erupted on Friday.
It seems that a simple update is what caused the trouble, with a bug in the system that affected millions.
Security Irony
It is ironic that Crowdstrike is a company that specializes in cyber security. On its wesbite, it declares: “We stop breaches”.
Many will now doubt its effectiveness in defending against threats after a bug in its own system brought down computer networks the world over.
Crucial Infrastructure
The fault affected crucial infrastructure in many countries.
It meant that people couldn’t go to doctor’s appointments, go on holiday as flights were grounded, or watch TV. It also affected payment systems in stores and banks.
Not a Hacker
Crowdstrike, the comapny behind the affected software, was quick to state that it had not been hacked.
Security was not compromised, but severe inconvenience caused.
Inconvenience Continues
Crowdstrike say that they now have a solution to the bug.
However, the solution is a manual one that must be carried out one computer at a time, which means that even with IT teams working over the weekend, it will take days for many organisations to run smoothly again.
Worry About Global Security
Even with a solution in place and repairs slowly happening, there are questions about global security.
In a world where one bug in an IT update can cause systems globally to crash, what are the implications?
Expert Opinion
According to one professor, it is a result of too few companies cornering the market.
Gregory Falco is an assistant professor of engineering at Cornell University. He said: “What really causes this mess is that we rely on very few companies, and everybody uses the same folks, so everyone goes down at the same time.”
Immediate Security Implications
There is a risk that hackers and other cyber criminals will take advantage of the current chaos.
They may exploit vulnerabilities caused by the outages. Scammers may also reach out to companies, claiming to be able to help them restore their systems and then plant viruses or spyware in the system.
Implications for Crowdstrike
Crowdstrike is a company is in trouble as a result of Friday’s outages.
Its share prices have taken a hit and it will undoubtedly lose customers, as well as much of its trusted reputation, in the aftermath of this disaster.
Watch This Space
The long term impact of Crowdstrike’s failed update remains to be seen.
However, it is to be expected that the heads of companies and organisations affected will be looking to improve their systems and security defences. There will also be questions at a national level about how to improve cyber security.
