Gartner presents steps to recover from Windows BSoD outage

A global system failure on 19 July 2024, caused by a CrowdStrike Windows update, left gate screens blue and blank at airports worldwide. The update resulted in failures with Windows servers, virtual machines, and end point systems, affecting 8.5 million devices. Experts believe the update may have skipped quality checks, leading to widespread ‘blue screens of death’ and inoperable systems.

Organisations have struggled to restore operations, with Gartner releasing guidelines for immediate and long-term measures. Security teams are advised to be vigilant for opportunistic attacks, such as phishing and ransomware, as hackers exploit the chaos. The incident underscores the importance of resilience in the face of interconnected system vulnerabilities.

Chris Morales of Netenrich warned of potential phishing attacks, credential stuffing, and brute-force breaches during the outage. Gartner also highlighted the need to manage employee burnout as help desk staff face increased workloads. Ensuring temporary measures are properly decommissioned will be crucial to avoid further issues.

Long-term recommendations include focusing on resilience through redundant systems, continuous data backup, and comprehensive supply chain oversight. Jenna Wells of Supply Wisdom emphasised the importance of proactive business continuity plans to mitigate future incidents, stating that it’s not a matter of if but when an event will occur.