Charleston Tech CEO Addresses Major Tech Outage Aftermath and Recovery Measures
The CEO of the Charleston Technology Group started an ordinary day with phone calls bordering on panic from clients questioning the safety of their data amidst a major tech outage. He assured them that his company was unaffected by the situation. Several banks and businesses were also grappling with an increase in call traffic after the outage.
“Use of CrowdStrike, it’s just an antivirus solution, was at the center of the outage due to a problematic update that affected Windows operating systems,” expressed Ian Sidles, CEO of the Charleston Technology Group. Sidles insisted that the issue wasn’t rooted in a Microsoft flaw but a crosscheck problem within the CrowdStrike software.
Rarity of Widespread Outages and the Implication of a Lacking Prevention Strategy
According to Sidles, such widespread outages are quite infrequent. But he also emphasized the concerning reality that there is very little to do to prevent such outages. “That’s part of the problem. You can’t really prepare. You select an antivirus solution being assured that they contain a rollback feature in the operating system.”
This rollback feature is a great tool which if enacted allows the computer system, if hit by ransomware, to revert to its previous state with a few clicks. However, Sidles also cautioned that relying entirely on cloud storage isn’t entirely foolproof.
Insights on Cloud Storage and Data Backup
“We all assume that it’s going to be there, work all the time, and is backed up,” emphasized Sidles. However, data held by these companies are usually only backed up for a specific duration. “Most people aren’t aware that if you need to retrieve something beyond 30 days, it’s not going to be there for you. Hence, the use of third-party apps is often necessary,” he added.
The Imperative of a Disaster Recovery Plan
Sidles stressed that businesses should prioritize having a disaster recovery plan in place. It’s about how the company would restore computers if it were targeted by ransomware, a virus, or something similar. “The disaster recovery plan and its periodic testing are primary to ensuring business continuity in the event of such an outage”, Sidles added.
The time it takes for company technology to be restored can range from minutes to days. Despite the unpredictability of these incidents, Sidles believes it is crucial for businesses to actively explore and invest in the best possible data protection and disaster recovery strategies to mitigate these situations.
Conclusion
Major tech outages like the one recently encountered, although rare, have the potential to wreak unprecedented havoc on businesses worldwide. It also highlights the importance of strong disaster recovery solutions and business continuity strategies even in the face of inevitable technological failures. Companies, particularly those heavily reliant on digital platforms, must take necessary precautions and be equipped with comprehensive contingency plans to handle such crises and ensure minimal disruption to their operations.
