Continuity in Crisis: Assessing Partners Post-CrowdStrike Triggered Outage

No organization is perfect, and no vendor can test every possible configuration that may arise in production environments. Even the best software providers experience unexpected issues, requiring all of us to reassess the resiliency of our entire software ecosystem. 

Given the scale and impact of the recent global IT outage sparked by a bad CrowdStrike software update, there is an opportunity to explore more than just technical details and root cause analyses of what went wrong. This is a pivotal moment for all organizations to assess their software supply chain and the operational risks to the business.  

This is especially true for cybersecurity software operating deep in our software stacks, where the adversaries attack but also where a bad line of code can take down the entire system. Do we have the right balance to deliver the business continuity needed when this inevitably happens again?

The BlackBerry Approach:  Communication, Control, and Continuity

At BlackBerry, we understand that communication is crucial, especially in times of crisis when rapid and clear communication channels are essential for coordinating efforts and making decisions that can restore operations more efficiently and expediently.

We strive to give our customers the controls they need to manage their business operations with confidence and ease. And our commitment to continuity ensures that, no matter what challenges arise, we are there to support our customers every step of the way. It's not just about technology; it's about being a reliable partner in a world of constant change.

As you review your software providers, along with the risk of widespread business impacts in the future, here are a few reasons to consider BlackBerry® solutions:

• Crisis Communication: Not only is it imperative that a vendor communicates transparently and immediately when issues arise, it’s also equally important for impacted organizations to be able to communicate during an unplanned outage. That’s why BlackBerry® AtHoc® is a core part of our portfolio, delivering real-time, collaborative, and out-of-band communication in critical events around the world every day. For more on how our customers used BlackBerry AtHoc during the IT outage, read Blue Screens, BlackBerry AtHoc, and Business Continuity: A Global Outage Story.

• You Control the Updates: Cylance® agent updates can be entirely controlled by you with different zones & policy configurations for different devices and operating systems. You can configure your own tests and phased rollout plans. For more on the BlackBerry philosophy, read Operational Excellence in Software Development and Deployment, the BlackBerry Approach.

• AI, Not Signature Rules: With the foundation of the product based on Cylance® AI machine learning models, Cylance does not require any regular updates. Cylance machine learning models are designed for longevity and the ability to work without cloud-connected updates. Any changes that would involve kernel-level code or interfere with the OS would come in planned updates to the agent.

• Customer’s Choice: For the second year in a row, BlackBerry was named a 2024 Customers’ Choice for Endpoint Protection Platforms in Gartner® Peer Insights™ because our customers love using the platform and see firsthand the protection it provides for their environments. They also appreciate having control over updates. Learn more in our recent white paper: 
  Ensuring Business Continuity: A Comparative Look at Security Architectures.

Conclusion

Now, the question is, what type of organization are you, and how much risk are you comfortable with? How much control would you like? That’s a discussion worth having in the aftermath of the recent outage. Maybe you can no longer tolerate the approach of using just one vendor on every single device with no backup option.

Choosing security vendors is akin to selecting a partner that shares your commitment to business continuity and cyber resilience. At BlackBerry, we understand that your business success is our priority. Our approach ensures that you have the stability, security, and control you need to keep your operations running smoothly.

Related Reading

• White Paper: Ensuring Business Continuity: A Comparative Look at Security Architectures
• Blue Screens, BlackBerry AtHoc, and Business Continuity: A Global Outage Story
• BlackBerry Named a 2024 Customers’ Choice for Endpoint Protection Platforms in Gartner® Peer Insights™
• Announcing CylanceMDR Pro — Reclaim Confidence in Your Security Posture