Microsoft is introducing a suite of new security features for Windows aimed at preventing breaches similar to the high-profile CrowdStrike incident. In 2020, cyberattackers exploited vulnerabilities in various software platforms, notably through the SolarWinds supply chain attack, which affected major organizations, including CrowdStrike.
While Microsoft was not directly responsible for that breach, the events underscored the increasing sophistication of cyber threats and the need for enhanced defense mechanisms. Another major incident happened: the CrowdStrike outrage on Friday, July 19, 2024.
The outage began in Australia in the early hours of the morning and then spread quickly to Asia, Europe, and the Americas. A bug in a routine software update from the cybersecurity company CrowdStrike caused roughly 8.5 million Windows systems to crash. The outage affected many industries, including airlines, airports, banks, hospitals, and more.
A fix was released within hours, but many computers needed to be fixed manually, so outages continued for some time. The outage was estimated to have caused at least US$10 billion in worldwide financial damage. CrowdStrike blamed the outage on a hole in its testing software and pledged to improve its testing processes.
To avoid future risks, Microsoft has focused on bolstering Windows’ endpoint security, leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to identify threats before they cause damage. The company is also improving kernel-level protections, ensuring that only authorized code can run on Windows devices.
This will help safeguard sensitive data as well as prevent attackers from exploiting vulnerabilities in third-party applications. Additionally, Microsoft is enhancing real-time monitoring and introducing more advanced encryption techniques to prevent unauthorized access.
Microsoft’s new security tools show how committed they are to safeguarding users and companies from ever-evolving cyber threats.
