The global Microsoft computer outage initiated by a faulty CrowdStrike security update gave us a taste of what actual cyberwarfare could do.
Starting soon after midnight New York time, the glitched update brought the “blue screen of death” to PCs across the world.
That shut down or crippled airports, hospitals, stock exchanges, banks and media from Europe to America and on to Australia and India — as well as government agencies including the Homeland Security Department and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
It grounded 2,000-plus flights originating or landing in the United States, took out 911 lines in Alaska and Ohio and canceled most operations at hospitals in Germany and America.
And it may take weeks to fully fix.
Yet this was an accident; imagine what a sophisticated cyberattack might do.
In short, we’ve all been warned that the system is far too fragile — too focused on short-term “efficiency” at the expense of durability.
For starters, rethink “mandatory software updates”: Let the humans at the computers say “No!” until their own techs give the OK.
An interlinked world brings vast convenience and opportunity — but also a dangerous dependency.
Cue the rush to put everyone’s cyber-eggs in a lot more baskets.
