CrowdStrike failure: the beginning of the end of software without guarantees?

Everyone knows now how a flawed update crashed 8.5 million computers running the Windows version of CrowdStrike’s Falcon cybersecurity software — but what does the failure of one company’s software testing regime mean for the IT industry as a whole? Experts and analysts say that the idiosyncrasies of the technology sector mean it could easily happen again.

Quality vs speed

CrowdStrike has given its version of events leading up to the July 19 crash.

But for independent IT expert Fernando Maldonado, one of the causes of CrowdStrike’s failure is in the way the cybersecurity industry competes with cybercriminals. “There is a race to always cover the latest threats. So, to close the window between when a threat is discovered and when you cover it, you have to pick up a certain speed,” which can lead to a lack of attention to the quality of this update, he says.