Various industries, from banks to airports, TV stations to healthcare facilities, and a wide array of businesses, are currently facing significant IT disruptions. These disruptions have caused grounded flights and widespread chaos as Windows machines worldwide encounter errors.
Early Friday morning, Australian companies using Microsoft’s Windows platform began experiencing the notorious Blue Screens of Death (BSODs). Subsequently, reports of disruptions poured in from around the world, including the UK, India, Germany, the Netherlands, and the US. Notably, Sky News went offline, and major US airlines like United, Delta, and American Airlines implemented a “global ground stop” on all flights.
What We Know So Far
The extensive Windows disruptions have been linked to a recent software update released by cybersecurity giant CrowdStrike. While cybersecurity experts have ruled out a malicious cyberattack, they attribute the issues to a misconfigured or corrupted update pushed out to CrowdStrike’s customers.
CrowdStrike engineers have acknowledged the situation on the company’s Reddit forum in response to the widespread reports of Blue Screens of Death (BSODs) affecting Windows hosts. They are actively working on addressing the issue, providing a workaround for affected systems, and issuing detailed instructions to customers through an advisory.
How Can You Protect Your Business from a Global Disruption?
In light of the current global disruption, business leaders worldwide are realizing the importance of having a robust Private Cloud Back Up & Disaster Recovery Plan (BUDR) in place. While popular public cloud options like Azure, AWS, and GoogleCloud offer extensive global coverage, there are key considerations to keep in mind.
Transitioning to public cloud solutions may require significant adjustments to your network operations. Many IT teams lack the resources and expertise needed to seamlessly integrate these platforms. Educating your team, organizing data, and making infrastructure changes can be a time-consuming process, often taking months to a year. Due to the self-serve nature of public cloud, many companies opt to enlist external specialists to handle migration.
One of the major challenges with public cloud is its intricate financial structure. Even with external assistance, obtaining a precise cost estimate is difficult due to complex pricing models. Additionally, high egress fees can lead to unpredictable expenses, making budgeting a challenge.
On the other hand, private cloud BUDR solutions offer a secure way to minimize cyber threats and ensure compliance. These solutions provide automated, fully managed protection for your data, images, files, and critical content without requiring extensive infrastructure changes. Your data can be seamlessly transferred to the cloud, and with 24/7/365 support, your team can rely on quick assistance.
From a financial standpoint, private cloud BUDR solutions offer straightforward budgeting with a flat monthly rate. In the event of a disaster, a single phone call is all it takes to get your team back up and running within an hour.
In times of global crisis, it is crucial to assess the downtime tolerance of your network and the speed at which you can recover essential data.
Click Here to Schedule a FREE Cloud Assessment
