23-Jul-2024
CrowdStrike Security Failure: A Security Testing Update
By Sandeep Vashisht
23-Jul-2024
By Sandeep Vashisht
Having strong security testing services are crucial, as demonstrated by the recent incident involving top cybersecurity service CrowdStrike, which rocked the industry. A global outage hurting companies, airlines, and government institutions throughout the globe was caused by a defective upgrade to their Falcon Sensor software. This terrible episode serves as a clear warning of the possible repercussions when security updates, intended to protect systems, contain undetected flaws
On July 19th, 2024, CrowdStrike released a routine update to their Falcon Sensor software, designed to bolster security against emerging threats. But on Windows-based PCs, this upgrade included faulty code that resulted in frequent system failures. The global impact of the outage was felt in banks, airlines, hospitals, and even government offices, where major disruptions occurred.
Experts are now pointing to inadequate quality checks as a potential cause for the widespread disruption. Security researcher Patrick Wardle speculated that the frequency of such updates might have led to insufficient testing. "It's very common that security products update their signatures, like once a day... because they're continually monitoring for new malware and because they want to make sure that their customers are protected from the latest threats... The frequency of updates 'is probably the reason why (CrowdStrike) didn't test it as much,' he said."
The CrowdStrike outage caused widespread disruption, impacting businesses, banks, hospitals, and airlines globally. The faulty security update led to the crashing of 8.5 million Microsoft Windows computers, according to Microsoft's estimates.
While CrowdStrike claimed a "significant number" of devices were back online, many organizations were still struggling to fully restore their systems. Among the worst-hit were airlines, with over 5,000 flights worldwide cancelled on Sunday. Healthcare services in Britain, Israel, and Germany also experienced disruptions, leading to cancellations and delays.
Interestingly, one major economy remained largely unscathed: China. This can be linked to the nation's relatively low usage of CrowdStrike's software and its lower dependence on Microsoft goods and services relative to other countries of the world.
This incident serves as a reminder of the interdependence of world systems and the possibility that a single error might devastate entire regions. It also begs the concerns of how power is concentrated in the IT sector and how more robust mechanisms are required.
Industry experts have weighed in on the CrowdStrike incident, emphasizing the need for robust practices for security testing services.
Srirang Srikantha, Founder & CEO of Yethi Consulting, said, “The outages represent how fragile and interconnected our systems are... It reiterates the need for good practices of testing before releasing new software to production systems.”
Sundareshwar K, Partner & Leader - Cybersecurity at PwC India, commented, “This development highlights how it is a misnomer that enhanced technology deployment alone will help organizations become more secure and ensure business continuity... the focus should be on rethinking risks and moving beyond the layers, patches, products and tools to building an inherently strong cyber architecture with complementary interventions that ensure resilience in the face of such unforeseen technology setbacks or failures.”
Piyush Goel, Founder & CEO of Beyond Key, said, “This incident underscores the need for diverse and well-tested cybersecurity solutions to prevent similar large-scale outages in the future.”
This is another addition to the top software failures due to lack of testing and a testament to the need for appropriate partners for successful deployment.
The occurrence demonstrates the crucial need of robust software testing & QA testing services across the software development life cycle. Security testing is more than simply detecting vulnerabilities; it is also about guaranteeing the dependability and resilience of software systems. Here are some key takeaways for organizations:
Comprehensive Testing
A range of testing techniques, including functional, performance, and security testing, should be used in comprehensive software testing. Software has to be tested in a variety of scenarios and environments before it is deployed in order to find any potential bugs.
Regression Testing Services
Regression testing services are necessary to make sure that updates or new code alterations don't have unanticipated effects or interfere with existing functionality. Regression testing service providers may help simplify and expedite this process, providing assurance about the dependability of your program.
Security Testing Services
Consider working with expert security testing service providers such as BugRaptors. These specialists have the skills and means to conduct thorough security assessments, vulnerability scanning, and penetration testing to find hidden flaws in your software.
QA Testing
Quality assurance (QA) testing is an essential component of the software development process. QA testers, who meticulously verify software against functional and non-functional criteria, play an important part in ensuring a seamless user experience. Their work provides comfort about the quality of your program.
Don't let your software become the next cautionary tale. Invest in complete security testing for your application with BugRaptors, your reliable partner, to safeguard your digital assets. In order to detect and manage threats, our skilled team uses a holistic strategy that goes beyond simple vulnerability scanning.
Through comprehensive security evaluations, penetration tests, and stringent quality assurance and regression testing services, we guarantee that your software is impervious to online attacks and operates without a hitch. Whether you need web applications, mobile apps, or business software, our customized solutions take into account your specific requirements.
Partner with BugRaptors to fortify your software against the ever-evolving threat landscape. Let us be your first line of defense, ensuring your software remains secure, reliable, and ready to meet the challenges of the digital world.
The CrowdStrike incident is a sobering reminder that even the most reputed security testing companies may make blunders. However, these errors may be avoided by employing comprehensive security testing & QA testing procedures.
Organizations may greatly minimize the risk of future occurrences by investing in extensive testing, engaging with security testing service providers like BugRaptors, and employing rigorous quality assurance processes.
Let this be a wake-up message to the industry. Security testing is not a choice; it is a need.
Sandeep Vashisht
Sandeep Vashisht is the Manager – Quality Assurance at BugRaptors. With experience of more than 15 years, Sandeep specializes in delivering mobile, web, content management, and eCommerce solutions. He holds a strategic QA vision and has the ability to inspire and mentor quality assurance. He is an expert with a grip on project plan development, test strategy development, test plan development, test case & test data review.
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