Global tech outage: Microsoft VP explains what went wrong

Summary

Microsoft's Deputy Chief Information Security Officer, Anne Johnson, discusses a recent global IT outage caused by a CrowdStrike update. She emphasizes the importance of following CrowdStrike's guidance to mitigate the issue and the ongoing collaboration with CrowdStrike to resolve the problem, highlighting the need for robust ecosystems to withstand such events.

Takeaways

• 🔄 CrowdStrike pushed out an update that caused a global IT outage, affecting primarily enterprise customers.
• 🛠️ The issue was not consumer-facing but impacted enterprises using CrowdStrike as a security solution.
• 🤝 Microsoft is working closely with CrowdStrike to resolve the issue and get systems back online.
• 📢 CrowdStrike has published guidance on their website to help customers mitigate the issue.
• 🚫 There is a lot of misinformation circulating on social media, and customers are encouraged to follow official guidance.
• 🛑 Microsoft has teams of engineers working to simplify the application of fixes for the CrowdStrike flaw.
• 🔍 The recovery timeline is uncertain due to the complexity of systems and the need for manual updates in some cases.
• 🔄 Microsoft is collaborating with CrowdStrike to streamline the update process and reduce manual intervention.
• 🔍 There will be a post-event analysis to understand what went wrong and prevent similar issues in the future.
• 🤔 The script raises broader questions about reliance on a few companies for critical web infrastructure and the need for robust ecosystems.
• 🔒 The incident was due to a third-party update, highlighting the challenges of maintaining open systems while ensuring security.

Q & A

What was the root cause of the outages mentioned in the script?

The root cause of the outages was an update pushed out by CrowdStrike, which affected Microsoft systems that were running the program.

Who is Anne Johnson and what is her role at Microsoft?

Anne Johnson is Microsoft's Deputy Chief Information Security Officer and Corporate Vice President.

What does CrowdStrike do and why is it important for enterprises?

CrowdStrike is a security solution used by enterprises to help them be more secure and fend off large global attacks. It is important as it helps protect against cyber threats.

What kind of impact did the CrowdStrike update have on Microsoft's customers?

The update caused a global outage, primarily affecting enterprises that were using CrowdStrike as part of their security infrastructure.

How is Microsoft responding to the situation?

Microsoft is working closely with CrowdStrike, having numerous conversations, and has teams of engineers working to make it easier for customers to apply fixes to the CrowdStrike flaw update.

What guidance is available for customers affected by the CrowdStrike update?

CrowdStrike has published guidance on their website, which Microsoft strongly encourages people to follow due to the presence of misinformation on social media and other platforms.

What is the current status of the recovery process?

There is some recovery happening, but the exact timeline for full resolution is uncertain due to the complexity and size of the systems involved.

What kind of testing occurs before updates like this are rolled out?

Engineering teams work with partners to ensure thorough testing of security features that impact systems to avoid situations like this. The incident was unexpected despite rigorous testing.

How does Microsoft collaborate with companies like CrowdStrike to prevent such incidents?

Microsoft maintains ongoing conversations with partners and encourages them to test thoroughly before publishing security features that could impact their systems.

What broader questions are being asked in the wake of this incident?

People are questioning whether there is too much reliance on a small number of companies to power the web and whether systems need to be more open to prevent such issues.

What is Microsoft's focus after resolving the immediate issue?

After resolving the immediate issue, Microsoft will focus on learning from the event, working collaboratively with government and businesses, and building more resilience into the ecosystem.