Many Brisbane businesses recently faced a stressful situation when a software update from a popular cybersecurity company, CrowdStrike, caused widespread outages. Consequently, this incident highlights the importance of cyber security preparedness for businesses of all sizes. For an in-depth explanation of what happened, you can watch this video where a Windows Developer explains the CrowdStrike IT Outage and shares his insights.
What Happened with CrowdStrike?
Think of CrowdStrike as a security guard for your computer systems. On July 19th, 2024, CrowdStrike accidentally sent out an update. This update caused a system crash on many computers running Microsoft Windows. As a result, businesses experienced the dreaded blue screen of death, effectively locking them out of their systems.
The Impact on Brisbane Businesses
The outage significantly impacted various sectors in Brisbane. For instance, airlines, banks, hospitals, and retail stores all faced disruptions. Imagine an airport where check-in kiosks wouldn’t work, or a bank where customers couldn’t access their accounts. Thankfully, the issue was resolved within a day. However, it served as a stark reminder of how reliant businesses are on technology and how vulnerable they can be to cyber threats.
Avoiding Similar Outages: Communication and Disaster Recovery
While the CrowdStrike incident was unintentional, it underscores the importance of having a disaster recovery plan. This plan outlines how your business will respond to unexpected events that disrupt normal operations. Here’s how communication and a disaster recovery plan can help:
- Communication: During an outage, clear and timely communication with employees and customers is crucial. Consequently, having a communication plan ensures everyone knows what’s happening, what steps are being taken, and when normal operations are expected to resume.
- Disaster Recovery Plan: A well-defined disaster recovery plan outlines procedures for recovering from various disruptions, including cyber attacks and software glitches. For instance, this plan could involve having backups of critical data stored securely offsite, allowing you to restore operations quickly.
Why Cyber Security is Essential for Every Business
Cybersecurity isn’t just for big companies anymore. Indeed, every business, regardless of size, is a target for cybercriminals. These criminals can steal sensitive data, disrupt operations, and damage your reputation. As a result, the cost of a cyber attack can be devastating, leading to financial losses, legal issues, and a loss of customer trust.
How a Cyber Security Provider Can Help
A cyber security provider like Netcomp is your trusted partner in the digital world. We offer a range of services to help Brisbane businesses stay secure, including:
- Vulnerability Assessments: We identify weaknesses in your computer systems that hackers could exploit.
- Security Awareness Training: We educate your employees on cyber threats and best practices for staying safe online.
- Managed Security Services: We monitor your systems for suspicious activity and take action to prevent attacks.
- Disaster Recovery Planning: We help you develop a plan to quickly recover from cyber incidents.
The Essential Eight: A Guide for Australian Businesses
The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) developed the Essential Eight as a framework to help businesses protect themselves from cyber attacks. These eight strategies are considered essential because they address the most common cyber threats faced by Australian businesses. Here’s a breakdown of the Essential Eight and why they matter:
- Application Control: This strategy ensures only authorized software can run on your computers, reducing the risk of malware infections.
- Patch Application Vulnerabilities: Software developers regularly release patches to fix security holes. Keeping your software up-to-date is critical, like patching a leaky roof to prevent further damage.
- Configure Microsoft Office Macro Settings: Malicious macros can be hidden in documents and used to launch cyber attacks. Disabling macros from untrusted sources helps prevent this.
- User Application Hardening: This involves configuring software settings to make it more secure, like adding extra locks on your doors for additional security.
- Restrict Administrative Privileges: Limit the number of employees with administrative access to computer systems. This reduces the damage a hacker can do if they gain access to an account.
- Patch Operating System Vulnerabilities: Just like applications, operating systems need regular updates to fix security vulnerabilities.
- Multi-factor Authentication: This adds an extra layer of security to logins, making it harder for hackers to gain access, even if they steal a password. Imagine needing a key and a fingerprint scan to enter your house for an extra layer of security.
- Daily Backups: Regularly backing up your data ensures you can recover critical information in case of a cyber attack or hardware failure, like having a spare copy of important documents in a fireproof safe.
Netcomp: Your Trusted Cyber Security Brisbane Partner
Netcomp is a leading cyber security provider in Brisbane. We understand the unique challenges faced by local businesses and are committed to helping them stay secure. Our team of experienced professionals can help you implement the Essential Eight and other cyber security best practices.
Here’s how we can help your Brisbane business:
- Essential Eight Implementation: We can help you assess your current security posture and develop a plan to implement the Essential Eight effectively.
- Cyber Security Awareness Training: We offer engaging training programs to educate your employees on cyber threats and best practices for staying safe online.
- Ongoing Monitoring and Support: We provide 24/7 monitoring of your systems for suspicious activity and can take swift action to mitigate threats.
- Disaster Recovery Planning and Testing: We can help you develop a comprehensive disaster recovery plan and conduct regular tests to ensure its effectiveness.
Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late: Invest in Cyber Security Today
The CrowdStrike incident serves as a wake-up call for Brisbane businesses. Cyber threats are real, and they can have a devastating impact on your operations. By investing in cyber security today, you can protect your business from financial losses, reputational damage, and costly downtime.
Have any questions?
Contact Netcomp today and speak to one of our cyber security experts. We’re here to help!
