You’ve undoubtedly heard about the CrowdStrike outage, which occurred in July 2024 and was quickly christened the biggest IT snafu in history. The event affected Microsoft users the world over, plunging them deep into the dreaded blue screen of death (BSOD). The outage was so severe and so pervasive, it crippled business organizations across the globe… and even led to widespread flight cancellations.
While the issue was originally pegged to Microsoft, further investigation revealed it to be an issue with CrowdStrike, a popular cybersecurity provider. A faulty update, affecting only Microsoft users, briefly brought global productivity to a halt.
While we may not ever experience an exact repeat of this event, it’s only a matter of time before some similar issue causes businesses to encounter temporary IT outages. Even losing a couple of hours can compromise your productivity and imperil your reputation with customers, vendors, and investors. As such, it’s worth asking: What, if anything, can businesses do to ensure a higher level of IT readiness?
A Checklist for IT Readiness
There are a number of essential steps that IT teams can take to ensure their readiness, and to mediate the effects of the next CrowdStrike-style event.
Use enterprise-level infrastructure
A simple, single-router Wi-Fi system may be fine when you’re at home, but office spaces need a much more robust IT infrastructure in place, connecting all users to the same local area network (LAN).
Know your backup plan
Remember that IT outages aren’t always caused by faulty software. In some cases, the culprit may be a storm that knocks out your power, or simply an overloaded circuit board. Investing in a backup generator or alternate power source can help minimize downtime. Having a redundant network connection can also help you keep your team up and running.
Backup files regularly
The last thing you want is to lose critical files, or to see some of your team’s hard work disappear, due to an IT malfunction. Put a process in place to ensure mission-critical data is backed up to hard drives and/or cloud systems on a routine basis.
Keep your software up to date
While the CrowdStrike event actually happened due to a faulty upgrade, that doesn’t change this basic reality: Keeping your software up to date is essential for preventing cybersecurity vulnerabilities and other concerns.
Ensure training and communication
Who is responsible for software updates and data backups? And what’s the action plan should a CrowdStrike-style event affect your company? Robust team training and clear communication can ensure everyone is ready to play their part in a rapid IT recovery.
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Businesses depend on always having a functional IT infrastructure; without it, teams can suddenly feel adrift. While there are many unpredictable threats to your IT uptime, implementing a basic readiness plan can help you minimize your risk.
As you consider establishing meaningful IT protocols in your place of business, don’t hesitate to contact the experts. Reach out to Corovan’s tech team with any questions about ensuring IT readiness.