CrowdStrike Causes Globe Outages

July 19, 2024

Incident Overview

CrowdStrike, a leading cybersecurity vendor, has caused a significant global IT outage affecting millions of computers using Microsoft Windows operating systems. This disruption is due to a defect in a recent content update of CrowdStrike’s software. Importantly, this issue does not stem from a cyberattack, as confirmed by CrowdStrike’s CEO on social media platform X.

Impact

• Scope: The issue has led to widespread connectivity problems, preventing access to various applications and websites.
• Exclusions: Mac operating systems remain unaffected.
• Major Applications: Microsoft 365 services continue to operate without disruption.
• Affected Applications: There is no comprehensive list of affected applications available at this time.

Relevance to Advisors

Even for firms that do not directly use CrowdStrike’s services, the extensive use of their software by other vendors and businesses may lead to indirect disruptions. Advisors might encounter issues signing into certain applications or websites essential for daily operations.

Recommendations

1. Business Continuity Plan: Implement your BCDRP as needed to respond to outages.
2. Monitor Access: Continuously check the accessibility of critical applications and services.
3. Communicate with Vendors: Stay in contact with key vendors to receive updates on service statuses.
4. Contingency Planning: Prepare for potential short-term disruptions by having backup access solutions in place.

We will provide further updates as more information becomes available. The Fairview Cyber team is available to assist with any questions.