Following widespread IT outages impacting ports, airports, banks, retail outlets, trains, emergency services, media companies, and the UK’s NHS, Omdia's Maxine Holt delves into the key factors at play as the #tech world watches this crisis unfold. Stay tuned for updates from Omdia's #cybersecurity group!
Since Omdia cyber analysts got to their desks this morning, 19 July, news has been flooding in about major IT outages the world over. Everything from ports, airports, banks, retail outlets, trains, emergency services, media companies, the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) and more have reported an inability to operate normally, with some more affected than others. The common thread? Machines running Windows 10 have been bricked en masse. In the few hours since this crisis began, it appears that a software update has triggered this global IT meltdown. The infamous "Blue Screen of Death" (BSoD) allegedly followed a software update by cybersecurity vendor CrowdStrike on their Falcon agent. Amid the chaos, conflicting reports are emerging. Some sources, including Microsoft, suggest the Windows 10 issue might be separate from the CrowdStrike fiasco. However, no concrete confirmation has been provided yet. In the desperate scramble for solutions, a supposed fix is making rounds in tech forums: booting in Safe Mode, navigating to the CrowdStrike directory, and deleting the file C-00000291*.sys. This fix remains unverified by Omdia. All eyes are now on CrowdStrike and Microsoft. The stakes couldn't be higher. CrowdStrike, deeply embedded in enterprise cybersecurity, faces an existential threat if this update is confirmed to be the root cause. Unlike other vendors, removing CrowdStrike from the security stack is not a simple task; it’s a massive project fraught with complexities. The question looms: Could CrowdStrike actually fail? The vendor's entrenchment in enterprise cybersecurity might not be enough to withstand the fallout if they are indeed responsible for this unprecedented global outage. Microsoft, despite its involvement, is unlikely to face the same existential threat. Its entrenchment in IT and security infrastructures across the globe makes it almost invincible. But the scrutiny and backlash will undoubtedly be intense. As the situation unfolds, the tech world watches with bated breath, bracing for the impact of what could be the most significant IT crisis of the decade. More to come from Omdia as the situation develops! Rik Turner Jonathan Ong Hollie Hennessy Don Tait Adam Etherington
