Microsoft Holds Cybersecurity Summit After IT Disturbance Due To CrowdStrike

Microsoft announced that it will hold a Summit (TT) (photo: x @microsoft)

JAKARTA - Microsoft announced it will hold a Summit in September focusing on improving cybersecurity systems. This comes after a software update from CrowdStrice caused global IT disruption last July.

The conference will take place on September 10 at Microsoft's head office in Redmond, Washington, and will involve representatives from governments, industry, and other stakeholders.

The major disruption that occurred on July 19, 2024, affected nearly 8.5 million Windows devices worldwide, resulting in operational disruptions in various sectors, including airlines, banks, and health services. This incident raises concerns about overly dependent on a vendor providing a comprehensive security solution.

In a blog, Microsoft stated that the disruption provides important lessons for the entire cybersecurity ecosystem. They emphasized the importance of increasing resistance to future disturbances and welcoming discussions with other stakeholders at the upcoming summit.

CrowdStrice, which is in the spotlight in this incident, has lost about $9 billion from its market value since the disruption occurred. The company is now facing lawsuits from shareholders who accuse them of hiding weaknesses in software testing, which caused the global disruption.

In addition, the Delta Air Lines, which experienced a mass cancellation of flights due to this disruption, also filed a legal claim against CrowdStricte and Microsoft, with losses estimated at 500 million US dollars (Rp7.7 trillion).

In response to this situation, a spokesman for CrowdStrice stated that they plan to participate in discussions at the summit and are committed to increasing the resilience of cybersecurity ecosystems in the future.

CrowdStrike is scheduled to report their second-quarter financial results on August 28, which is expected to be heavily affected by the impact of the incident.

This conference is the first step for Microsoft in responding to the crisis and is expected to produce concrete solutions to strengthen global cybersecurity.