The global IT outage on 19 July 2024: ensuring secure IT systems
The global IT outage on 19 July 2024 caused by a faulty CrowdStrike update: causes, impact and measures for a resilient IT infrastructure.
On 19 July 2024, a faulty software update from CrowdStrike caused around 8.5 million Windows devices worldwide to fail. Airlines, banks, hospitals and emergency services were affected. The incident shows which measures make an IT infrastructure resilient.
What happened
The update was intended to improve the Falcon security software. Instead, numerous Windows systems entered a restart loop and ended in a blue screen. The result was system failures and business interruptions across various industries.
Which measures protect the infrastructure
- Regular system updates, vulnerability analyses and security reviews to detect incidents early.
- Protection systems such as antivirus software, firewalls, intrusion detection systems and VPNs.
- Regular backups, encryption and access controls, regardless of whether systems run on-premises or in the cloud.
Why this applies to every organisation
Protecting the IT infrastructure against hacking, malware and phishing safeguards business continuity and sensitive data. The incident of July 2024 also shows that updates from trusted software can trigger outages. Regular backups are therefore required in every case.
DEVACON offers cybersecurity solutions from the initial assessment and protective measures through to ongoing operation.
Key points
- A faulty CrowdStrike update affected around 8.5 million devices on 19 July 2024.
- Updates, vulnerability analyses and protection systems reduce the risk of outages.
- Backups, encryption and access controls apply on-premises and in the cloud.
How DEVACON protects organisations from the initial assessment through to ongoing operation is described on the page Cybersecurity.
This article comes from the DEVACON blog and was editorially revised for the new website.
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