Don't Wait For Chaos to Strike to Start Thinking About Incident Response

We are offering a free trial of six drills designed to bolster incident response capabilities and help companies affected by the outage - visit this link to register your interest: https://uptimelabs.io/outage-free-drills/

The Great Internet Outage of 2024 brought on by a code update has disrupted services worldwide. This incident has affected major sectors, causing widespread chaos and impacting countless businesses.

A few organisations affected by what experts are calling the biggest IT outage ever include:

• Airlines and Airports: Flights across Europe and beyond were delayed or canceled, leaving passengers stranded and travel plans in disarray.
• Media: TV broadcaster Sky News went off the air, with other media outlets facing similar disruptions.
• Financial Services: The London Stock Exchange reported disruptions and several major banks experienced outages.
• Healthcare: The UK's NHS system faced significant issues, affecting the majority of GP surgeries in England and leading to postponed medical appointments.
• Public Services: The Paris Olympics IT system was impacted, causing delays and complications.
• Emergency Services: 911 services were disrupted in several US states, including Alaska, Arizona, Indiana, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Ohio.
• Rail Services: Rail services were disrupted in parts of the US and the UK.
• Payment Systems: Payment systems were impacted in various parts of the world, including Australia and the UK.
• Government Response: Australia’s government called for an emergency meeting to address the crisis.
• Microsoft Services: Significant disruptions occurred in some 微软 services.

At this moment, incident responders around the world are under immense stress, working tirelessly to mitigate the fallout from the incident. We at Uptime Labs recognise the tremendous pressure these professionals face and the critical importance of their work. Their dedication and resilience in the face of such overwhelming challenges are commendable. It is for these very individuals that we advocate continuous training and preparation.

IT as a Safety-Critical Industry

This incident underscores a fundamental truth: IT is a safety-critical industry. The impact of disruptions extends far beyond technical inconvenience; it affects safety, security, and daily operations on a global scale. When IT systems fail, the repercussions can be immediate and severe.

The question is not whether disruptions will occur, but how to stay prepared to deal with them. At Uptime Labs, we built our company to prepare other organisations for days like this. The "Great Internet Outage" incident provides a stark reminder of why this preparation is essential.

At Uptime Labs, we use drills to enable incident response teams to experience realistic scenarios and build their skills upon these experiences. Our scenarios are meticulously crafted to nurture effective learning by guiding users through each stage of the learning cycle.

Why Drills are Effective:

1. Comprehensive Experience: Drills offer the opportunity to experience all aspects of incident response, exposing participants to numerous incident scenarios in a short amount of time. This accelerates learning and skill development.
2. Diverse Scenarios: Through drills, participants can encounter a variety of experiences that would take a lifetime to gain if waiting for real incidents to occur. This builds a personal “library” of experiences, vital for appropriate responses in real-life situations.
3. Case-Based Reasoning: By referencing recollections of similar scenarios experienced in drills, teams can respond more effectively to real incidents. This process, known as case-based reasoning, enhances decision-making under pressure.

Special Offer: Free Trial of 6 Drills

In light of the recent events, Uptime Labs is offering a special campaign to help companies affected by the outage. We are providing a free trial of six drills designed to bolster incident response capabilities. This offer aims to support organisations in enhancing their preparedness and resilience.

Why Participate?

• Build Confidence: Gain confidence in your team’s ability to respond effectively to incidents.
• Adopt Best Practices: Learn and adopt best practices for incident management.
• Enhance Preparedness: Improve your organisation’s readiness for future disruptions.
• Experience Realistic Scenarios: Engage in realistic, high-pressure drills that mirror real-world incidents.
• Engaging Learning: Participate in an enjoyable and deeply engaging training process.

How to Get Started

If your company was affected by the recent IT outage, don’t miss this opportunity to strengthen your incident response capabilities. Reach out here to sign up for your free trial of six drills and take the first step towards mastering incident response.