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CrowdStrike Update Cripples Windows Systems
A faulty CrowdStrike Falcon update caused BSODs on millions of Windows devices and major outages. We cover the cause, impact, and how criminals exploited the incident with fake recovery malware.
Why Regular Software Updates Are Essential for Strengthening Cybersecurity
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Introduction
As technology rapidly advances, so do the threats to business security, underscoring the critical importance of regular software updates. Cyber-attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated and widespread, posing significant risks to organizations of all sizes. To defend against these malicious threats, businesses must prioritize keeping their software up to date.
Software updates not only introduce new features but also provide essential security patches to address potential vulnerabilities. Failing to update can leave individuals and businesses exposed to cyber breaches, data theft, and financial loss. Given the growing reliance on technology for daily operations, maintaining strong security measures is more important than ever.
Regular software updates are a crucial line of defense against cyber threats, making it imperative for businesses to stay current to protect their data, customers, and reputation.
How can I check if my software is up-to-date?
You can check if your device’s software is up to date by going into the device’s settings and looking for the “software update” option. Here’s how to do it on different types of devices:
- On Apple devices (iPhone, iPad): Go to Settings > General > Software Update to see if any updates are available.
- On Android devices (like Samsung Galaxy): Go to Settings and tap on Software Update or System Update. The exact location may vary depending on the model, but it’s usually found in the main settings menu.
- On Windows devices: Go to Settings and find the Windows Update section. From there, click Check for updates to see if your system needs an update.
- On macOS (iMac, MacBook): From the Apple menu n the corner of your screen, choose System Settings. Click General in the sidebar of the window that opens, then click Software Update on the right.
Whenever possible, activate automatic updates to receive the latest patches immediately upon release.
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Request a private consultation to find out whether Richter Guardian is a good fit for you.
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Introduction
On July 19, CrowdStrike released a flawed update to its Falcon sensor for Windows devices, triggering widespread system crashes. Due to a bug in the content validator and insufficient testing, the update bypassed CrowdStrike’s internal quality checks.
The update reached over 8.5 million Windows devices, resulting in an out-of-bounds memory read that caused the Falcon sensor to crash the operating system, leading to the infamous Blue Screen of Death (BSOD). The impact was severe, with enterprises across various sectors, including airports, hospitals, government agencies, media outlets, and financial institutions, experiencing critical and costly IT disruptions.
Both Windows workstations and servers were affected, leading to massive outages that incapacitated entire organizations and rendered hundreds of thousands of computers inoperable.
Root cause
The issue stemmed from a recent update to the CrowdStrike Falcon sensor, which caused Windows systems to either get stuck in a boot loop or crash with the Blue Screen of Death. CrowdStrike acknowledged the problem and issued a technical alert, stating that its engineers had “identified a content deployment related to this issue and reverted those changes.
Despite the swift response, it took days for some organizations to restore normal operations, resulting in prolonged outages and delays. While most organizations have since recovered, the repercussions of the incident continue to unfold, with increased cybercriminal activity, loss of trust, and potential litigation.
According to a report by Guy Carpenter, the estimated insured losses from the faulty Falcon update range between $300 million and $1 billion, while CyberCube has suggested the figure could be as high as $1.5 billion.
The impact on personal computers
CrowdStrike warned users that cybercriminals were exploiting the Falcon outage. Phishing attempts, posing as CrowdStrike representatives, surged as attackers sought to distribute malware. A significant example involved a fake recovery manual that installed a new information-stealing malware called Daolpu. Once active, this malware harvested account credentials, browser history, and authentication cookies stored in browsers like Chrome, Edge, and Firefox.
Ready to stay protected from digital threats, with experienced professionals overseeing your security?
Request a private consultation to find out whether Richter Guardian is a good fit for you.
Protecting What You Can't Replace: A Data Backup Guide
Important family, financial, and legal information is increasingly stored across devices and online accounts, making a reliable backup plan an important part of protecting it. For many families, these types of files now exist across different devices and services, so it helps to know where those files are stored, how they can be recovered, and what their risks are.
Introduction
Important family, financial, and legal information is increasingly stored across devices and online accounts, making a reliable backup plan an important part of protecting it.
For many families, these types of files now exist across different devices and services, so it helps to know where those files are stored, how they can be recovered, and what their risks are.
For high-net-worth individuals, families, and executives, backups are especially important because the information they rely on is often highly valuable, private, and difficult to replace. A lost device, ransomware attack, cloud account issue, or hardware failure can quickly disrupt personal, financial, or business matters.
Having a reliable backup plan helps ensure important files remain accessible, protected, and recoverable when something goes wrong.
Common risks to your data
Data can be lost in several ways, including lost or stolen devices, ransomware, or everyday backup failures such as cloud service outages, file corruption, or hardware failure.
Lost or stolen devices
If a device is lost, stolen, or destroyed, any files stored only on that device may be permanently lost. The best protection is to keep a backup in another place, such as a cloud account or an external hard drive.
Ransomware
Ransomware is another serious risk. This type of attack locks your files and demands payment to restore access. An offline backup, such as an external hard drive, protects your files since attackers cannot access it.
Everyday backup failures
Backups can also fail for everyday reasons. Automatic backup settings may be turned off, an important folder missed, files become corrupted, or a cloud service may be temporarily unavailable. A helpful rule of thumb is to keep three copies of important data: one on your device, one in the cloud, and one on an external hard drive.
Cloud backup as a first layer of protection
Cloud storage saves your data online through a service such as Google Drive, Apple iCloud, or Microsoft OneDrive. You can access files from any device with an internet connection, and many cloud services can back up your files automatically.
Cloud services you may already use
Apple iCloud
- Included on all Apple products (iPhone, iPad, Mac)
- Can be set to automatically back up photos, videos, contacts, documents and text messages
Google Drive
- Built into many Android devices and Chromebooks through a Google account
- Windows and Mac users need to install Google Drive for desktop and choose which folders to sync
Microsoft OneDrive
- Built into Windows 10/11 and included with Microsoft 365 subscriptions
- Can be set to automatically back up your Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folders
Using cloud backup securely
- Start by confirming that cloud backup is turned on for each device and the right files and folders are included.
- Check that recent files are being backed up and that you have enough storage for the information you want to protect.
- Protect every cloud account with a strong, unique password and multi-factor authentication.
Since cloud backups can sync unwanted changes, including ransomware-encrypted files, cloud backup should be paired with an offline backup that is disconnected when not in use.
Using a hard drive as an offline backup
An external hard drive provides an extra layer of protection if something goes wrong with your device or cloud account.
To use an external hard drive, connect it to your computer, copy your important files, and disconnect it once the backup is complete.
For added safety, store the drive in a secure location away from your main devices. A safety deposit box or personal safe is the most secure option.
A good place to start
- Identify the files that would be hardest to replace, such as legal documents, financial records, tax documents, insurance information, and family photos.
- Confirm cloud backup is turned on and includes those files.
- Protect cloud accounts with strong passwords and multi-factor authentication.
- Copy important files to an external hard drive and disconnect when finished.
- Store the hard drive somewhere safe, and separately from your main devices.
- Test your backups periodically to make sure the files can be recovered.
If you’re a Richter Guardian client and have questions about securing your backup accounts, multi-factor authentication, protecting your devices from ransomware, or improving your overall device backup strategy, please contact our team.
Ready to stay protected from digital threats, with experienced professionals overseeing your security?
Request a private consultation to find out whether Richter Guardian is a good fit for you.
Wyze Camera Technical Issue Granted 13,000 Users Viewing Access to Other Homes
A Wyze outage led to 13,000 users briefly seeing other customers’ camera thumbnails and videos. We summarize the incident and recommend firmware updates, strong passwords, and 2FA for home cameras.
Introduction
On February 16, 2024, Wyze Labs encountered a service outage, resulting in connectivity issues for numerous users. The disruption persisted for almost nine hours, with the cameras remaining offline during this period. Wyze Labs identified Amazon Web Services (AWS), their partner, as the source of the security outage.
While working to restore camera functionality, Wyze faced an additional security concern. Some users reported encountering incorrect thumbnails and Event Videos in their Events tab. Disturbingly, unauthorized individuals could enlarge images or view videos from strangers’ Wyze cameras. 13,000 users inadvertently gained surveillance access to other homes.
Although the company released a statement that over 99.75 percent of Wyze’s user base remained unaffected by the breach, 0.25 percent still experienced a serious violation of their privacy.
In response to this incident, Wyze has implemented an additional layer of verification for users seeking access to video content via the Events tab, aiming to prevent such privacy breaches in the future.
Recommendations
Major professionally monitored security systems, like Wyze, are not perfect. Home security cameras are understandably used in many homes to enhance safety and security. If you own and/or use a security camera, it’s important to be aware of the risks associated with these devices. Follow these steps to ensure you are protected:
- Regularly update camera firmware as home security cameras can be vulnerable to hacking, which may lead to unauthorized access to your device.
- Use strong and unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication. Many cameras come with default passwords that are easily guessable, making them vulnerable to hacking. Change the default password to something strong and unique.
- Avoid placing cameras in sensitive areas like bedrooms and bathrooms.
Ready to stay protected from digital threats, with experienced professionals overseeing your security?
Request a private consultation to find out whether Richter Guardian is a good fit for you.