Tommi's Scribbles
Key lesson from Crowdstrike outage
- Published on 2024-07-29
A recent update to Crowdstrike took down a large swatch of computer systems globally. Delta Airlines took probably most damage. While finger pointing ensues, I think the outage showcases a key thing which is why I would never buy from companies such as Crowdstrike.
Back when I worked in the gaming industry, I vividly recall meeting a colleague, who actually said they do not play games. Somehow, this person was still a key executive, driving the development of a video game. How could someone who does not play games and understand the fun factors try to make such a product?
The Crowdstrike outage seems similar in nature. If I believed in my cybersecurity product, I would for sure run the software on my company's computers. That means any flaws such as the update pushed by Crowdstrike that took down all the systems would never have made it to customers, as it would have taken down internal systems first.
I have always been a firm believer of actually using and testing the product I am working on. To me, you can never achieve the expertise in code if you don't actively use the product. Relying on automated testing rarely catches any of the issues you run into when you actually use a product.
To me this a key indicator if you believe in your own product. If you don't use it, why should I? After this incident, it is clear Crowdstrike does not use their own products. That is why I would never get Crowdstrike's software. Or anyone else's where the company itself does not use their product.