Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, has announced that his companies are discontinuing the use of the web/cloud-based antivirus platform CrowdStrike following a significant outage affecting Windows 10 users globally. This decision was made after CrowdStrike admitted that a recent update conflicted with Microsoft systems, causing widespread disruptions.
The outage had a major impact across various sectors, grounding at least 4,295 flights worldwide according to aviation analytics firm Cirium, and affecting banking services and media broadcasters. Notable disruptions included temporary outages at major broadcasters like the UK-based Sky News and several Australian channels such as ABC, SBS, Channel 7, Channel 9, and News Corp Australia.
Satya Nadella, the executive chairman and CEO of Microsoft, confirmed via a post on X (formerly Twitter) that the issue was indeed caused by a CrowdStrike update. In response, Musk noted on X that his companies had removed CrowdStrike from all their systems, signalling a significant shift in their cybersecurity strategy.
SEBI Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch said the global Microsoft Windows outage should be a wake-up call. She stated that she has been urging market infrastructure institutions to look at cybersecurity in a two-dimensional manner.
Expert says, this outage highlights urgent need for Data Localisation norms. Today, 80% of data is stored outside. It’s crucial for the government to acknowledge the risks of global data storage and implement stricter data localization policies to mitigate these concers.
The question of whether India is ready with its own firewall to safeguard against significant IT outages like the one caused by the recent CrowdStrike update is complex and multifaceted. Investing in these areas will enhance India’s readiness to handle future cyber threats effectively.
Comparatively, countries like the US, China, and Israel have more mature and sophisticated cybersecurity infrastructures. India's progress is commendable, but there is room for growth to match these leading nations.
This incident underscores the challenges and risks associated with cybersecurity in the interconnected digital environment, highlighting the potential for significant operational disruptions from software conflicts and updates.
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