Businesses worldwide faced technology outages on Friday, July 19th, as a software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike impacted Microsoft Windows endpoints.

The Culprit: A Flawed Update

CrowdStrike, a major provider of advanced EDR software for Microsoft Windows, identified a defect in one of their recent updates. This faulty update caused critical errors on some Windows systems, leading to users unable to access systems and essential applications. Thus causing widespread technology outages across businesses globally.

•  Impact on Businesses: Flights were grounded, banks faced operational slowdowns, and communication channels like email were disrupted, causing significant delays and financial losses. Critical infrastructure such as healthcare and government entities were also impacted, including Universities such as Texas A&M University which had to cancel classes today due to this outage.

•  The Importance of IT Support: Having a reliable IT firm with on-demand experts can significantly reduce downtime during technology outages and situations such as this.

Ripple Effects Across Industries

This incident caused technology outages and had a cascading effect on various sectors. Here are some of the reported disruptions:

• Travel: Airlines struggled with check-in and booking systems, leading to flight cancellations and delays.
• Finance: Banks grappled with limited access to internal systems, hindering financial transactions.
• Healthcare: Hospitals and clinics experienced difficulties managing appointments and patient records.
• Media: Television networks encountered issues with broadcasting and production.
• General Business: Numerous companies faced challenges with communication, collaboration, and document access.

The Resolution and Remaining Impact

While CrowdStrike and Microsoft collaborated to fix the underlying cause, some residual effects continued to be reported. Although the situation has improved, businesses may still experience issues getting their endpoints back online. As of this morning, the most effective fix required manual intervention on each endpoint impacted to restore function.

Lessons Learned:

The incident underscores the importance of business preparedness for unforeseen tech issues. Here are some takeaways:

Stay Informed and Updated: Businesses should actively monitor updates and patches for critical software and implement them promptly after thorough testing.

• Diversify Tools and Services: Relying solely on a single vendor can increase vulnerability. Consider diversifying your software and service providers to build resilience.
• Invest in Cybersecurity Awareness: Train employees on cybersecurity best practices to identify and avoid potential threats.
• Regular System Updates: Stay updated with the latest security patches and software versions to minimize vulnerabilities.

Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Planning: Have processes and procedures in place for when impacts like this are seen to efficiently and effectively restore systems back to a production state and allow the business to continue to function in the event computer resources are unavailable.

By prioritizing IT preparedness and having a team of on-demand experts at your disposal, businesses can weather tech storms, technology outages, and ensure smooth operation – even during unexpected glitches.