CrowdStrike Outage: 5 Steps Your Business Can Take to Keep Your Documents Safe

A man and woman looking at a computer screen in the wake of the Crowdstrike outage

How prepared is your business for a sudden tech outage? The CrowdStrike outage on July 19, 2024, was a stark reminder of the fragility of our digital infrastructure. This incident, caused by a faulty update to CrowdStrike’s Falcon sensor for Windows, resulted in a logic error that led to widespread system crashes.

Businesses worldwide were hit with the infamous “blue screen of death” on their Windows computers, which sent shockwaves through industries worldwide.

We all saw the chaos: flights disrupted, banks offline, hospitals struggling, and media channels going dark. It wasn’t a cyberattack, but the impact was just as severe.

CrowdStrike acted quickly to deploy a fix and communicated effectively with its customers, but the damage was done. The question remains: What can your business learn from this?

Recognise the Indirect Impact on Cloud-Hosted Documents

The CrowdStrike outage might have primarily affected Windows machines, but its ripple effects significantly affected cloud-hosted documents. Businesses relying on these systems faced severe disruptions.

Employees couldn’t access critical files, leading to workflow chaos. Real-time collaboration was out the window, productivity plummeted, and project timelines were blown out of the water.

Think about the financial ramifications: missed deadlines, delayed decisions, and lost opportunities. For customer-facing operations, service disruptions meant damaged reputations. All because of an inaccessible document.

Real-Life Impacts: UK Business Struggles

According to internet tracking website Downdetector, a spike in outages was then recorded across a number of websites and services just before 6 a.m. in the UK.

  • NHS England said in a statement at 10.20am the outage was “causing disruption in the majority of GP practices” as bookings could not be recorded using the service’s EMIS computer system.
  • It added there was no known impact on 999 calls or emergency services.
  • Northern Ireland’s Department of Health said two-thirds of its GP practices have been impacted.
  • Sky News was unable to broadcast for a short time on Friday morning.

These scenarios highlight the vulnerability and far-reaching consequences of our reliance on cloud-based document storage without robust contingency plans. But there are steps you can take.

1. Diversify Your Access Methods

Reliance on Windows systems to access cloud-hosted documents proved risky. Diversification is key. Think about implementing alternative access methods. 

Mobile devices and web interfaces can provide redundancy, ensuring that your team can keep working, even if one system goes down. There are other ways to organise your digital documents.

Remember, it’s not just about having backups; it’s about having versatile access points. Imagine a scenario where your main system fails, but your employees can seamlessly switch to their mobile devices or a web-based platform to continue their work. It’s about keeping the wheels turning no matter what.

2. Strengthen Backup and Recovery Plans

The CrowdStrike outage underscored the importance of robust backup and recovery plans. Regularly backing up your cloud-hosted data and having a clear recovery plan can mitigate the impact of such disruptions. Think of it as your business’s insurance policy against digital calamities.

Consider implementing cloud-to-cloud backups. Real-time backups on separate cloud platforms ensure that even if one provider falters, your data remains accessible. Local backups provide an additional layer of protection. And don’t forget version control systems. They track changes and allow you to revert to previous versions if your data gets corrupted or lost.

3. Evaluate Your Third-Party Dependencies

This incident highlighted the risks of relying heavily on third-party software for critical operations. A single software glitch can have cascading effects. It’s time to reassess your third-party dependencies.

Conduct thorough risk assessments of all third-party software and services your business uses. Identify potential vulnerabilities and develop contingency plans. Regular reviews of these providers’ performance and reliability can help ensure they meet your business’s security and operational standards.

4. Build a Strong Incident Response Plan

An effective incident response plan is crucial. Develop a comprehensive plan outlining procedures for communication, data recovery, and system restoration during outages. Regularly test this plan through drills and simulations to identify areas for improvement.

Clear communication channels are vital. Ensure that your employees, customers, and stakeholders are kept in the loop during disruptions. This transparency helps manage expectations and maintain trust.

5. Invest in Employee Training

Your employees are your first line of defence. Educate them about cybersecurity best practices and train them on your incident response plan. They should know how to identify and report potential threats and understand the importance of regular data backups.

Consider conducting regular training sessions and simulations to keep these skills sharp. After all, a well-prepared team can make all the difference in minimising the impact of an outage.

Summing Up: Prepare for the Unexpected

The CrowdStrike outage was a wake-up call. It revealed the interconnectedness of modern IT systems and the potential for far-reaching consequences from a single disruption. By diversifying access methods, strengthening backup and recovery plans, evaluating third-party dependencies, building a robust incident response plan, and investing in employee training, your business can be better prepared for future disruptions.

In the digital age, it’s not a matter of if an outage will occur, but when. The lessons from the CrowdStrike outage are clear: preparation and proactive measures are your best defence. Don’t wait for the next outage to realise the importance of these steps. 

💡 If the Crowdstrike outage has caused your business problems, or you are worried about what might happen in the future, you can challenge the experts at Evolve Document Solutions to point you in the right direction.

Act now and ensure your business can weather any digital storm.