Written By Lisa Murimi
As systems gradually return to normal after the global IT outage on Friday, the incident has revealed some uncomfortable truths about the foundations of our digital lives and how fragile they actually are.
The outage demonstrated that even a tech giant like Microsoft, with its substantial resources and investments in robust system security, can be severely disrupted by an accidental error.
The error, originating from a software update by the independent cybersecurity company CrowdStrike, had a catastrophic impact due to the widespread use of Microsoft-powered computers in our tech infrastructure.
This demonstrates our heavy reliance on digital infrastructure and our helplessness when something goes wrong beyond our control.
As an IT expert advised on TV, the best course of action during such times is to “be patient,” a difficult yet necessary stance for many affected users.
It has also emphasized the risks of depending on a single IT provider, similar to putting all our eggs in a singular basket. This dependency means there’s often no Plan B when issues arise.
For consumers, avoiding this dominance is challenging. Many transactions, especially in cashless businesses, rely on digital systems.
Small businesses, constrained by budgets, often choose a single vendor for cost reasons, believing large providers are less likely to fail.
While using multiple smaller IT providers might reduce the scale of outages, it also introduces diverse systems with potential vulnerabilities, increasing the risk of hacks.
Though Friday’s outage wasn’t a cyber attack, questions remain about how CrowdStrike’s flawed Falcon update escaped detection.
Prof Victoria Baines from Gresham College noted that someone at CrowdStrike likely faces repercussions for this oversight, and many people are working overtime to resolve the aftermath.
