On July 19, 2024, Microsoft suffered an unprecedented service breakdown, an event that experts called "the biggest IT failure ever", which not only exposed the fragility of digital infrastructure, but also sparked widespread discussion on corporate social responsibility and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) topics. Elon · Musk's controversial remarks pushed the discussion to a climax.
Overview of the event
In the July 19 incident, Microsoft's Azure servers were interrupted due to a kernel driver issue on a computer with the CrowdStrike security software installed. The outage spread quickly and affected key Microsoft 365 apps, including Teams, as well as other services such as Xbox. Microsoft reported on the night of the failure that users in the central United States may have experienced issues with the use of several Azure services and Microsoft 365 applications, which may involve "failures in service management operations, service connectivity or availability."
The impact of the outage was global, ranging from the inability of the Western Japan Railway Company (JR West Japan) to the disruption of services such as Australia airlines, banks, government networks, businesses, and supermarket cash registers due to a Windows system failure. In addition, United States Frontier Airlines, whose systems were directly affected by Microsoft's service outage, had to issue a statement saying that reservations, check-in, boarding passes and some flights could be affected. The Airports Authority of Spain has reported that major airports in Spain are expected to experience massive delays due to global system failures.
After confirming the source of the problem, Microsoft announced that most services have returned to normal, but acknowledged that services may still be affected for a small number of customers in the region. The outage not only has an impact on Microsoft itself, but also exposes the interdependencies and potential vulnerabilities of the global digital infrastructure.
Pictured: Musk talks about the paralysis of Microsoft services, which has sparked a big discussion in the industry
Technical details and implications
According to Microsoft's official statement, the company quickly took steps after the failure, repaired the Azure servers, and gradually restored the service. However, the disruption has had a significant impact on the global economy, with industries such as transportation, healthcare, and finance in many countries unable to function normally.
Musk's controversial remarks
During the breakdown of Microsoft services, Musk took to social media to post criticism of CrowdStrike's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) initiative. His remarks sparked a polarized reaction, with some supporting his view that companies should focus on the technology itself; Critics, on the other hand, see his remarks as a misunderstanding and misinterpretation of DEI.
Other sounds
In fact, Microsoft's service crash, in addition to Elon · Musk's fierce reaction, has also attracted widespread attention and comments from other people in the industry. Here are some perspectives from experts and commentators in different fields:
1. Li Xiaodong, vice chairman of the Internet Society of China and director of the Fuxi Think Tank, pointed out that the deep binding of security software and operating system may lead to the user's operating system being affected once there is a problem with the security software, thus affecting the use of the entire system.
2. Some cybersecurity experts believe that the long-term impact of the incident needs to be further assessed and a warning about the fragility of the global Internet infrastructure.
3. Industry analysts pointed out that the company should conduct sufficient testing before releasing an update to ensure its stability and security, and pointed out that the industry's poor emergency response to software update vulnerabilities is also one of the reasons why the problem has not been solved for a long time.
4. Another expert stressed that the whole industry should work together to deal with network security issues, enhance the security of the operating system itself, and control and manage the software system in the industrial chain to avoid greater impact on the operating system itself.
5. In addition, some commentators are concerned that a handful of companies dominate the antivirus and testing market, and that if something goes wrong, it will be a huge risk for governments and businesses.
6. Some of the affected businesses, such as Starbucks, ExxonMobil and Tesla, have also publicly said they have been affected, with Tesla CEO Elon Musk reacting the most violently, complaining angrily on social media and saying that the CrowdStrike software has been removed from all of Tesla's systems.
7. Some security experts and former government officials expressed shock at the incident, arguing that it was a "nuclear bomb" cybersecurity incident that affected nearly 10 million devices using Microsoft's Windows system, including a large number of critical infrastructure operations in many countries and even government departments.
Analysis & Commentary
The incident highlights the global reliance on a small number of cybersecurity vendors, which can lead to global disruptions if they fail. This dependency poses significant risks to governments and businesses, and requires the industry to work together to improve the security and stability of the system.
Microsoft's service outage is a wake-up call that the security and stability of our digital infrastructure is paramount. At the same time, it has also sparked in-depth thinking on corporate social responsibility and diversity, equity and inclusion issues. We should learn from this experience and promote the development of technology and the progress of society, instead of getting bogged down in unnecessary controversy and confrontation. In addition, this incident reminds us of the need to remain vigilant against the complexity of global information technology systems and the potential risks of various sectors that are highly dependent on cyber infrastructure, and jointly build a more secure, stable and sustainable digital future.
