Global Tech Outage Highlights Importance of Shared Responsibility in Cloud Computing

By Matt Laffoon

The widespread technology outage on Friday that affected airports, banks, and numerous businesses worldwide, serves as a stark reminder that the shared responsibility model in cloud computing is not to be underestimated.?

The incident, which involved CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity software used by many Fortune 500 companies, underscored the critical role of IT processes, tools, and professionals in organizational success. While cloud providers offer various services such as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS), they make it clear that clients retain certain responsibilities depending on the deployed service.?

Companies cannot assume cloud providers handle everything, especially in IaaS scenarios. Solid IT processes are still essential to support your environment, regardless of where it's hosted.?

The outage highlighted several key areas where businesses need to maintain vigilance:?

1. Backup systems and disaster recovery solutions?
2. Patch testing procedures?
3. Remediation processes?

Even with public cloud hosting, organizations found themselves needing to implement remediation steps during the outage. This incident reminded us that in the IaaS model, tools like CrowdStrike fall under the client's responsibility.?

Taking a step back from Friday, companies need to reassess their preparedness by asking crucial questions:?

• Are there tools and processes in place to quickly assist users with endpoint issues??

• Do communication protocols exist for organization-wide issue remediation??

• Are critical systems backed up or replicated with sufficient recovery points??

• Is there automation in place for swift action across the ecosystem?

As businesses increasingly rely on cloud services, this event has reignited discussions about the importance of understanding and implementing the shared responsibility model effectively. It serves as a wake-up call for organizations to ensure they have robust IT infrastructure and processes in place, regardless of their cloud service model.?

The fallout from this disaster will lead to changes in how companies approach their cloud strategies and IT security measures in the future.