ust a couple of weeks after its software update provoked a global IT outage, the cybersecurity CrawdStrike company is in the public’s eye again.
Crowdstrike’s president, Michael Sentonas, walked onto the Pwnie Awards stage to receive the “Most Epic Fail” award.
What might be considered the biggest global IT outage in history was caused by a botched software update from the cybersecurity company CrowdStrike, impacting millions of Windows systems worldwide. The Cloud security global IT outage occurred on 19th July and affected 8.5 million Windows devices.
Its effects were disastrous in many countries, especially Australia, and highly affected several domains, such as airlines, financials, and sales. Insurers estimate the Crowdstrike global IT outage will cost U.S. Fortune 500 companies $5.4 billion.
Pwnie Awards prize both excellence and ineptitude in the field of information security. The event took place at Def Con, shortly after the Black Hat conference, where CrowdStrike brought one of the biggest stands, offering free T-shirts and action figures. A CrowdStrike official declared that the company’s message to guests was one of “gratitude and appreciation for the Black Hat community.”
Recordings of Michael Sentona's acceptance discourse have been spread online; comparable to the conference attendants who looked ready to give CrowdStrike a second chance, the award public seemed enthusiastic and appreciative of Sentonas for stepping up to admit CowdStrike’s errors.
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The event organizers clarified that this closing award represented a final moment decision, because…how could anyone eclipse CrawdStrike’s largest global IT outage? After that, as a ridiculously huge trophy was carried on the stage accompanied by a loud ovation, Sentonas confessed that was “definitely not the award to be proud of receiving.”
CrowdSrike’s chief said: “I think the team was surprised when I said straightaway that I would get it because we got this horribly wrong, we’ve said this several different times, and it’s super important to own it when you do things well, it’s super important to own it when you do things horribly wrong.”
Sentonas claimed that he would get the trophy back to CrowdStrike HQ and display it in a distinguished place, as a reminder that “our goal is to protect people, and we got this wrong, and I want to make sure everybody understands these things can’t happen.”
To obtain data breach protection, companies invest time and money to educate their employees and create updated procedures.
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