CrowdStrike Outage : What Happened, Why, And How To Prevent It In The Future?

Global Incident Analysis: Digital Communication Failed on 19th July

Cyber Outage due to CrowdStrike, Impacted Airlines, Banks, Stock Market, Healthcare Globally

WHAT HAPPENED, WHY, AND HOW TO PREVENT IT IN THE FUTURE?

What Happened?

On July 19th, a global cyber outage was caused by a faulty software security update released labeled C-00000291*.SYS This showed and realized that how easily global digital systems can fail in few hours

Why its happened?

The outage occurred due to insufficient testing and oversight of a CrowdStrike software security update. Companies did not adequately scrutinize their partners, leading to a significant Windows operating system availability issue when the CrowdStrike software patch, containing the file C-00000291*.SYS, clashed with an existing file in the Windows system path (windows\system32), causing Microsoft Windows to stop responding.

Importance of Software Patch Updates due to which this incident happened

·?????? If you observed we usually get Software updates for our Android, Apple and Windows Operating systems and other software updates regularly.

·?????? A software security patch is crucial because it addresses latest security vulnerabilities in any software made til date and that could be exploited by attackers.

·?????? These releases software patches close security gaps, preventing potential breaches, data theft, and other cyber threats. Also, Regular Software updates are mandatory to ensure the software remains secure, stable, and compliant with industry standards, safeguarding sensitive information and maintaining trust.?

Resolution to Yesterday's System down Crisis

To prevent similar incidents, companies should:

1. Thorough Testing: Rigorous testing of any kind software updates required before deployment or release is crucial.
2. Diverse Technology Stack: Use various operating systems like Linux and security tools for critical systems.
3. Quick Recovery Plans: should require BCP (Business Continuity plan) and DR (Disaster Recovery Plan) strategies ready in place to quickly revert to a working version if issues arise.

Future Readiness Digital Communication Infrastructure

Its can happen to any software but Indian government and companies must focus on developing its own critical computer systems to reduce dependency on foreign technologies and take control of its technological future independently from big tech companies.

Avoiding Future Incidents

To strengthen our digital ecosystem, we should adopt the following measures:

1. Redundancy Plan on Digital Systems Failure: Avoid relying on a single security tool or system; have backups in place.?

2. Testing of any Software Patch Updated before deploying: Conduct thorough testing of all software updates before release and installation on the company Infrastructure?

3. Incident Response: Prepare with a swift and effective response plan for any kind of security incidents.?

4. Security Testing: Regularly test systems to identify and address on going vulnerabilities by deploying Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) and Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR)?

5. Continuous Improvement in Digital Infra: Regularly secure patch update and enhance security measures and per release guidelines?

6. Test and deploy HA (High Availability) mode at IT Infrastructure: Implement redundant systems to minimize system downtime.?

7. Eliminate Single Points of Failure: Utilize multiple cloud providers and security tools to spread risk.?

8. BCP (Business Continuity Plan) and DR (Disaster Recovery Plan) ready: Develop and regularly test a robust disaster recovery plan.?

9. Controlled Software patch Updates: Manage software patch updates carefully and avoid automatic installations, also test before release on IT infrastructure and Systems?

10. Vendor Management: Assess software patch updates from vendors thoroughly before deployment?

By focusing on these basic principles and incorporating new strategies, we can build a more resilient and secure digital infrastructure, ensuring a stable and safe technological future.