The Day the IT World Stood Still
- Details
- Written by Octavian Tanase
Lessons from CrowdStrike on Safeguarding Your Data with Compliance, Continuity and Disaster Recovery Strategies.
Where were you when the CrowdStrike outage hit? Many of us were stuck in our tracks when the recent global IT outage, triggered by a faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, brought critical infrastructure to a standstill and potentially cost Fortune 500 firms $5.4 billion in losses, according to insurance firm Parametrix.
It was a day that will live in IT infamy.
This disruption revealed the fragility of our interconnected digital world. While the root cause was a technical glitch rather than a cyberattack, it exposed the potential consequences of service disruptions on business operations.
The outage serves as a painful reminder of the importance of robust disaster recovery (DR) strategies. In Canada, where cybersecurity incidents are on the rise, the consequences of an outage can be devastating. For example, a 2023 survey by the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) revealed that 44% of Canadian businesses have experienced a cyberattack, with many lacking effective DR plans.
Panic-inducing events like the CrowdStrike one provide an opportunity for companies to reassess and strengthen their data reliability, availability, and resilience.
Continuous DR planning can enable companies to reduce downtime, data loss, and operational disruptions while maintaining business continuity by restoring critical applications and infrastructure, ideally within minutes after an outage.
The Cost of DR Apathy
Whether outages are caused by human errors or equipment failures, not having a proper DR plan can be expensive, with the financial cost of downtime ranging from $2,800 per hour for on-premises workloads to $3,275 per hour for public cloud workloads, according to a recent IDC Report. Scale up, and the lack of DR action could end up costing as much as $1 million per hour for Fortune 1,000 companies.
That’s why it’s so critical to plan for the worst. Strategizing with partners can foster a level of transparency and communication that is invaluable for cross-enterprise collaboration. A trusted and reliable hybrid cloud data partner can turn adversity into opportunity, strengthening customer relationships by providing expert guidance on achieving stabilization.
Yet despite high-profile cautionary tales and increasing business continuity regulations such as those stipulated by GDPR, many customers have yet to test their DR plans – and some lack them entirely.
This lack of preparedness is pervasive, and the proof is in the data. Notably, Hitachi Vantara’s Modern Data Infrastructure Dynamics report found that:
- Nearly a quarter (22%) of those surveyed admitted important data isn’t being backed up, while an additional 18% cited being unable to access data in the past two years because it was corrupted.
- A robust majority of IT decision-makers (68%) have concerns over whether their organization’s data infrastructure is resilient enough to recover all their data from any ransomware attack.
- Employees continue to be the weakest security link for many organizations. Only 29% are extremely confident their employees are following their security policies.
These alarming statistics should be a clarion call for proactive leaders. Organizations must seek a resilient data storage and infrastructure partner that will collaborate closely to establish robust DR strategies, incorporating essential components like replication, data backup, and remote sites and testing – ultimately ensuring compliance and resilience against potential disruptions, including ransomware attacks and outages. Technology leaders should also perform an in-depth analysis of their systems and IT infrastructure to prepare for the inevitable.
While there are endless variations of data or cloud infrastructure calamities, these five vital strategies will help your organization establish resilient DR plans and ensure uninterrupted operations:
Take Stock of Vulnerabilities
Evaluate your IT infrastructure to identify critical systems and potential points of failure. For Canadian organizations, this might involve assessing compliance with federal and provincial regulations, such as PIPEDA.
Draft Plans to Dodge Disruption
Develop and regularly test comprehensive DR plans. Canadian companies should consider simulations that reflect the unique challenges posed by regional factors like extreme weather events, which have been on the rise.
Rinse and Repeat Redundancy
Utilize advanced technologies like data replication and distributed computing to build redundancy across diverse geographical locations. This approach not only bolsters data accessibility but also minimizes the impact of localized disruptions, including power outages or hardware malfunctions.
Anticipate and Address Regulatory Changes
Stay ahead of evolving regulations. In Canada, this means ensuring your DR strategies comply with PIPEDA and sector-specific guidelines, such as those from the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI).
Pursue a Preparedness Mindset
Foster a culture where every team member understands their role in maintaining business continuity. In Canada, where cybersecurity talent is in high demand, ongoing training is crucial for keeping teams prepared.
In conclusion, organizations can turn disruption into opportunity by adopting proactive DR strategies. By partnering with reliable data infrastructure providers, they can ensure resilience against potential threats, comply with regulations, and build trust that endures through any disaster. The lessons from the CrowdStrike outage are clear: preparedness is not just an option; it’s a necessity in today’s digital world.
Octavian Tanase is chief product officer at Hitachi Vantara, which is transforming the way data fuels innovation. A wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi Ltd., Hitachi Vantara provides the data foundation the world’s leading innovators rely on. Through data storage, infrastructure systems, cloud management and digital expertise, the company helps customers build the foundation for sustainable business growth.
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