CrowdStrike outage & business impact

Unplugged: How One Software Glitch Brought Global Business to Its Knees

Imagine waking up one morning to find your entire business grinding to a halt. Your computers won’t start, your website is down, and your staff can’t access critical systems. Now multiply that nightmare across thousands of companies worldwide.

That’s exactly what happened in July 2024 when a simple software update gone wrong caused chaos for about 8.5 million Windows systems globally. This wasn’t just a minor hiccup – we’re talking about airlines unable to schedule flights, hospitals struggling to access patient records, and government websites going dark.

As a business owner, you know that every minute of downtime translates to lost revenue and frustrated customers. This incident serves as a stark reminder of how vulnerable our interconnected digital world can be.

While the software company, CrowdStrike, quickly identified and fixed the issue on their end, businesses were left scrambling to manually repair their systems. It’s a wake-up call for all of us to reconsider how we manage our IT infrastructure.

Are automatic updates really as safe as we think? How can we better protect our businesses from such widespread failures? These are questions every business owner should be asking.

In the full guide below, Computer Weekly breaks down what happened, exploring the far-reaching consequences, and most importantly, they provide practical steps you can take to shield your business from similar disasters. Because in today’s digital age, being prepared isn’t just smart – it’s essential for survival.

Here are our top 10 tips for businesses to keep the lights on during IT hiccups like the recent CrowdStrike outage:

Mind your updates: Don’t let automatic software updates catch you off guard. Consider rolling them out in stages to avoid a company-wide meltdown.
Have a Plan B: Make sure you’ve got backup systems at the ready. If your main setup goes pear-shaped, you’ll want alternatives to keep things ticking over.
Be ready to get your hands dirty: Sometimes, you’ve got to sort things manually. Have a game plan for when the automated bits throw a wobbly.
Keep an eye on your IT suppliers: Regularly check that your tech partners are up to scratch. You don’t want their slip-ups becoming your headache.
Stay alert for cyber ne’er-do-wells: When systems are down, cyber baddies might try to sneak in. Keep your wits about you and your security on high alert.
Test, test, and test again: Put new software and updates through their paces before letting them loose. A bit of rigorous testing can save you a lot of grief later.
Keep everyone in the loop: Make sure you’ve got clear ways to keep your team and customers clued in during a crisis. Use trustworthy channels to avoid Chinese whispers.
Take it slow with big changes: Consider rolling out major updates bit by bit. It’s easier to nip problems in the bud when they’re small.
Make friends with your tech crowd: Build good relationships with your IT suppliers. When the chips are down, you’ll want them on speed dial.
Always aim to do better: Regularly dust off your continuity plans and give them a polish. Learning from past hiccups will help you dodge future bullets.