Amidst the IT outage chaos, you can rely on incovo
On Friday 19th July, much of the world awoke to chaos. More than 3,300 flights were cancelled and countless others were delayed, many TV channels including Sky News and MTV were off air for hours, GP surgeries were unable to provide appointments, trains were cancelled, shops were unable to accept payment, the list goes on… As a result, Tesla and X boss Elon Musk described it as the “biggest IT fail ever”. So what happened and why should it act as a wake-up call to businesses everywhere? Read on as the IT experts at incovo offer their perspective…
A bug in the system
Cyber-security firm Crowdstrike claimed full responsibility for Friday’s IT outage and explained it was caused by an update to its Falcon antivirus software, which is designed to protect Microsoft Windows devices from malicious attacks. Crowdstrike CEO, George Kurtz released a statement to reassure all those affected that “The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed” and he was keen to stress that the issue was not caused by a security incident or a cyber attack.
Fixing the problem
Reassuringly, Crowdstrike was quick to react and was able to issue an effective fix for the problem. However, the problem for businesses everywhere is that this fix could take some time to take effect as it will have to be applied separately to each and every device affected. Every machine will require a manual reboot in safe mode. It is also important to note that there is likely to be a lingering knock-on effect from this IT outage, with delays to payroll expected by many businesses, for example.
A much-needed wake-up call for businesses
Given the sheer scale of the disruption caused by this IT outage, it goes to show just how vulnerable every online business and organisation can be. With that in mind, the IT experts at incovo believe it should act as an important wake-up call for three key reasons:
1. Connectivity matters: The IT outage served as an important reminder of just how reliant businesses and organisations of every size are on having a safe and dependable internet connection. We at incovo understand the need for reliable, dedicated, fast, high-quality connectivity. Our range of solutions – including full fibre, broadband and assured voice connectivity – can transform your day-to-day business operations for the better.
2. Cyber security has never been more important: Whilst this IT outage was not the result of a cyber attack, it serves as a clear example of the scale of the impact that a cyber attack could have on everyday business operations. Cyber security threats are constantly evolving, with new and ever more complex attacks continually emerging. Organisations of all sizes and across all sectors are vulnerable to ransomware, crypto jacking, data breaches, phishing, malware and brute force attacks if they don’t have sufficient protection. The cyber experts at incovo are committed to remaining one step ahead of the latest threats, going above and beyond to keep your business, your team and your customers safe.
3. Business continuity and disaster recovery is essential: Data loss can happen at any time, and if your business is not prepared, the consequences can be catastrophic. The solution is simple – back up your data with incovo. Store almost unlimited amounts of data across geo-redundant servers, and access it from anywhere at any time. Should the worst happen, you can rest assured your data is protected, enabling your business to bounce back and recover from disaster as quickly as possible.
Is it time to ramp up your protection?
If the IT outage has made you reassess your business’ approach to connectivity, cyber security or disaster recovery, get in touch with the team at incovo and we’ll be happy to discuss your options. Simply call 0345 450 8400 or email support@incovo.com to arrange a chat with one of our IT experts. As the disruptive knock-on effects of the IT outage continue, we’re here to provide you with a first-class level of service that you can rely on.
