On 19th July 2024, a faulty CrowdStrike update triggered a global IT outage, crashing Windows systems in airports, banks, hospitals, and businesses worldwide. While many scrambled to recover, Total Group clients were unaffected. Here’s why.
What Really Happened
The update wasn’t a cyberattack – it was a software failure. A faulty kernel-level driver from CrowdStrike caused the infamous “blue screen of death,” rendering millions of devices useless. Recovery was painfully slow, requiring engineers to fix each machine manually, often across back-to-back 20-hour shifts.
Avoiding a Single Point of Failure
Many affected organisations had no back-up plan in place. Their entire infrastructure depended on a single software provider and a uniform update rollout process. When that provider pushed a faulty update, it triggered a system-wide collapse, crashing everything from internal business systems to mission-critical infrastructure in hospitals, airports, and financial institutions.
This kind of overreliance leaves no room for error. Without contingency strategies or diversified solutions, one technical glitch can escalate into a full-scale operational crisis.
What We Did Differently at Total Group
1. Rigorous Testing
We never roll out updates blindly. All updates are tested in a controlled environment before deployment.
2. Staggered Rollouts
For non-critical updates, we deploy in phases over seven days. If something goes wrong, it’s caught early, without client disruption.
3. Diversified Providers
We avoid single-vendor reliance. This boosts cyber resilience and helps our clients remain operational, even when one provider fails.
4. Focus on Critical Infrastructure
From banking to healthcare, we design robust systems built to withstand outages, attacks, and unexpected failure.
Why It Matters
This wasn’t just a glitch – it exposed a critical weakness in how many organisations approach IT management.
Relying solely on software vendors to “get it right” leaves businesses vulnerable. The CrowdStrike outage showed how one faulty update – even from a trusted provider – can cripple global systems in minutes. If you’re not testing, staggering, or monitoring your updates, you’re gambling with your business continuity.
It’s a wake-up call for every IT and compliance team:
✔️ Blind trust in automation is not a strategy.
✔️ Overreliance on single providers creates systemic risk.
✔️ Resilience needs to be built in – not bolted on.
Modern businesses can’t afford passive IT. They need real-time protection, diversified security stacks, and proactive planning to stay operational when systems fail.
The Total Group Difference
At Total Group, resilience isn’t optional – it’s built in. While others scrambled to contain the fallout of the recent IT crisis, our clients continued operations uninterrupted. Why?
Because we do more than just detect threats, we help resolve them fast, with real-time insight and action-ready response.
Our unified platform brings together best-in-class security and compliance tools in one place, making complex IT environments manageable. Updates are tested, deployments are controlled, and our systems are built to withstand real-world failure, not just spot it.
For IT, Risk, and Compliance teams, awareness isn’t enough. You need issues fixed quickly, with clear evidence you’ve done it right. That’s why we focus on real-time remediation – not just alerts. “We had a problem – but it’s already fixed.” That’s the future we help deliver.
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