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The Microsoft/CrowdStrike outage shows the danger of monopolization | As the world recovers from the largest IT outage in history, it shows the danger of one point of failure in IT infrastructure

As the world recovers from the largest IT outage in history, it shows the danger of one point of failure in IT infrastructure

The problem originated with an Austin-based cybersecurity firm called CrowdStrike, relied upon by most of the global technology industry, including Microsoft, for its Falcon program that blocks the execution of malware and cyber-attacks. “Their IT stack may include just a single provider for operating system, cloud, productivity, email, chat, collaboration, video conferencing, browser, identity, generative AI and increasingly security as well,” a CrowdStrike vice-president, Drew Bagley, said. As the blue screen of death appeared at airports the world over, the US Federal Trade Commission chair, Lina Khan, tweeted: “All too often these days, a single glitch results in a system-wide outage, affecting industries from healthcare and airlines to banks and auto-dealers.

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