Building Future Resilience: Business Continuity Plan after an IT Global Disaster - Learning from the Crowdstrike and Microsoft Outage

The recent global IT outage caused by a faulty Crowdstrike update on Microsoft systems serves as a stark reminder of the interconnectedness and vulnerability of our digital world. This event, which crippled businesses across industries, highlights the importance of a robust Business Continuity Plan (BCP) for navigating such unforeseen disruptions.

The Crowdstrike and Microsoft Outage: A Case Study

The July 19th 2024 outage, while unintentional, showcased the domino effect a single event can have. A seemingly routine security software update triggered a system-wide failure, preventing Windows machines from booting. This impacted critical functions like flight operations, banking systems, and healthcare services. Businesses that lacked effective mitigation strategies faced significant downtime and potential financial losses.

Building a BCP for the Future

In light of such events, crafting a future-proof BCP becomes even more crucial. Here's how to adapt your plan to address the lessons learned from the Crowdstrike and Microsoft outage:

Vendor Reliance and Diversification: The outage exposed the risks associated with overreliance on single vendors. Consider diversifying your security software providers and IT infrastructure to minimize the impact of future vendor-related issues.

Third-Party Risk Management: Integrate thorough third-party risk management into your BCP. Evaluate the security practices and update protocols of critical software vendors to mitigate the risk of cascading outages.

Focus on Redundancy and System Independence: Design your IT systems with redundancy in mind. Implement isolated backups and disaster recovery solutions that are independent of the primary affected systems. Cloud-based solutions can offer increased scalability and redundancy in the face of widespread outages.

Beyond the Core BCP Components

The core components of a BCP – incident response, data backup, alternate site strategy, communication plan, and testing – remain essential. However, in the wake of the recent outage, consider incorporating these additional elements:

Software Update Management: Establish a rigorous software update management process. Implement testing and staging environments to ensure compatibility issues are identified before widespread deployment.

Communication During Outages with Limited Technology: Develop backup communication strategies that don't solely rely on digital channels. Explore alternative communication methods like phone trees or designated physical meeting locations for critical updates during outages.

Cybersecurity Awareness Training: Regularly train employees on cybersecurity best practices to minimize the risk of human error contributing to a disaster.

Conclusion

The Crowdstrike and Microsoft outage serves as a wake-up call for businesses to prioritize building resilient BCPs. By incorporating the lessons learned, businesses can be better prepared to navigate future IT disruptions, minimizing downtime and ensuring business continuity in a world of ever-evolving threats.