CrowdStrike Outage: Aon Cyber Solutions Update

CrowdStrike Outage: Aon Cyber Solutions Update
July 19, 2024 3 mins

CrowdStrike Outage: Aon Cyber Solutions Update

This client alert provides an overview of the current global IT outage that is related to a CrowdStrike update. We provide an overview of CrowdStrike's response and guidance, and Aon Cyber Solutions' recommendations for affected clients.

This alert describes a quickly changing situation. The information contained herein is based on publicly available information believed to be accurate at the time of publishing, Aon has not verified such information independently,  and cannot guarantee  the accuracy, adequacy, completeness of such information. Aon accepts no liability for any loss incurred in any way whatsoever by any person who may rely on it, and any recipient shall be entirely responsible for the use to which it puts this information. The information contained herein and the statements expressed are of a general nature and are not intended to address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity and we recommend seeking appropriate professional advice to address a specific situation.

Overview of the Current Situation

On July 19, 2024, many organizations around the world experienced an outage following a recent update of the CrowdStrike solution. The Falcon Sensor on Windows platforms is the only known component to be affected. At the time of writing, the outage has led to boot issues on affected systems. Based on public reporting to date, there is no evidence to suggest that this situation is the result of an external compromise.

CrowdStrike Response and Guidance

In response to the outage, CrowdStrike has published a technical alert on their customer portal containing up to date information about the issue, steps being taken to resolve it, and guidance for affected users. We encourage all affected users to refer to this resource to assist with restoring functionality to their Windows systems.

Aon Cyber Solutions Recommendations

Based on the information available at the time of publication, the following steps may assist organizations impacted by this outage:

1. Apply Mitigation Steps:

We understand that current guidance is to reboot affected hosts. If a reboot is not successful, CrowdStrike have released guidance on steps that should be taken to manually remove specific system files. Customers should regularly check CrowdStrike's customer portal and their official communication channels for the latest updates and instructions. It is important to note that BitLocker recovery keys and administrative passwords may be required to enact changes on affected systems, so ensure that these are backed up and readily accessible.

2. Monitor Systems:

Continuously monitor the performance and stability of your systems after applying the fix. Report any anomalies to CrowdStrike support immediately.

3. Contact Cyber Insurance Brokerage to Discuss Notification:

Impacted clients should contact their cyber insurance broker to discuss potential impact. The facts and circumstances of a particular company's situation will impact how coverage might apply to the event, and your brokers should be well positioned to assist with navigating notification requirements and potential support.

4. Long Term Considerations:

This event highlights the need for organizations to have business continuity and disaster recovery systems and plans to minimise downtime. Those systems and plans should also be regularly tested. Organizations should review their backup regime to ensure data is protected and can be restored in similar incidents.

Conclusion

The current outage affecting CrowdStrike users is a reminder of the dynamic nature of cybersecurity and the importance of robust incident response protocols. While the situation is still ongoing, the swift actions taken by CrowdStrike and the collaborative efforts of the cybersecurity community highlight the resilience and adaptability necessary to manage such events.

Aon Cyber Solutions remains committed to providing support and guidance during this time. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide updates as more information becomes available.

If you are experiencing a cyber incident, please contact our cyber response teams for urgent breach assistance using the details listed here - https://www.aon.com/en/capabilities/cyber-resilience/cyber-breach-assistance. For all other enquiries, please contact us via the general enquiries section on that page.

About Cyber Solutions:

Aon’s Cyber Solutions offers holistic cyber risk management, unsurpassed investigative skills, and proprietary technologies to help clients uncover and quantify cyber risks, protect critical assets, and recover from cyber incidents.

General Disclaimer

This document is not intended to address any specific situation or to provide legal, regulatory, financial, or other advice. While care has been taken in the production of this document, Aon does not warrant, represent or guarantee the accuracy, adequacy, completeness or fitness for any purpose of the document or any part of it and can accept no liability for any loss incurred in any way by any person who may rely on it. Any recipient shall be responsible for the use to which it puts this document. This document has been compiled using information available to us up to its date of publication and is subject to any qualifications made in the document.

Terms of Use

The contents herein may not be reproduced, reused, reprinted or redistributed without the expressed written consent of Aon, unless otherwise authorized by Aon. To use information contained herein, please write to our team.

Aon's Better Being Podcast

Our Better Being podcast series, hosted by Aon Chief Wellbeing Officer Rachel Fellowes, explores wellbeing strategies and resilience. This season we cover human sustainability, kindness in the workplace, how to measure wellbeing, managing grief and more.

Aon Insights Series UK

Expert Views on Today's Risk Capital and Human Capital Issues

Construction and Infrastructure

The construction industry is under pressure from interconnected risks and notable macroeconomic developments. Learn how your organization can benefit from construction insurance and risk management.

Cyber Labs

Stay in the loop on today's most pressing cyber security matters.

Cyber Resilience

Our Cyber Resilience collection gives you access to Aon’s latest insights on the evolving landscape of cyber threats and risk mitigation measures. Reach out to our experts to discuss how to make the right decisions to strengthen your organization’s cyber resilience.

Employee Wellbeing

Our Employee Wellbeing collection gives you access to the latest insights from Aon's human capital team. You can also reach out to the team at any time for assistance with your employee wellbeing needs.

Environmental, Social and Governance Insights

Explore Aon's latest environmental social and governance (ESG) insights.

Q4 2023 Global Insurance Market Insights

Our Global Insurance Market Insights highlight insurance market trends across pricing, capacity, underwriting, limits, deductibles and coverages.

Regional Results

How do the top risks on business leaders’ minds differ by region and how can these risks be mitigated? Explore the regional results to learn more.

Human Capital Analytics

Our Human Capital Analytics collection gives you access to the latest insights from Aon's human capital team. Contact us to learn how Aon’s analytics capabilities helps organizations make better workforce decisions.

Insights for HR

Explore our hand-picked insights for human resources professionals.

Workforce

Our Workforce Collection provides access to the latest insights from Aon’s Human Capital team on topics ranging from health and benefits, retirement and talent practices. You can reach out to our team at any time to learn how we can help address emerging workforce challenges.

Mergers and Acquisitions

Our Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) collection gives you access to the latest insights from Aon's thought leaders to help dealmakers make better decisions. Explore our latest insights and reach out to the team at any time for assistance with transaction challenges and opportunities.

Navigating Volatility

How do businesses navigate their way through new forms of volatility and make decisions that protect and grow their organizations?

Parametric Insurance

Our Parametric Insurance Collection provides ways your organization can benefit from this simple, straightforward and fast-paying risk transfer solution. Reach out to learn how we can help you make better decisions to manage your catastrophe exposures and near-term volatility.

Pay Transparency and Equity

Our Pay Transparency and Equity collection gives you access to the latest insights from Aon's human capital team on topics ranging from pay equity to diversity, equity and inclusion. Contact us to learn how we can help your organization address these issues.

Property Risk Management

Forecasters are predicting an extremely active 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. Take measures to build resilience to mitigate risk for hurricane-prone properties.

Technology

Our Technology Collection provides access to the latest insights from Aon's thought leaders on navigating the evolving risks and opportunities of technology. Reach out to the team to learn how we can help you use technology to make better decisions for the future.

Top 10 Global Risks

Trade, technology, weather and workforce stability are the central forces in today’s risk landscape.

Trade

Our Trade Collection gives you access to the latest insights from Aon's thought leaders on navigating the evolving risks and opportunities for international business. Reach out to our team to understand how to make better decisions around macro trends and why they matter to businesses.

Weather

With a changing climate, organizations in all sectors will need to protect their people and physical assets, reduce their carbon footprint, and invest in new solutions to thrive. Our Weather Collection provides you with critical insights to be prepared.

Workforce Resilience

Our Workforce Resilience collection gives you access to the latest insights from Aon's Human Capital team. You can reach out to the team at any time for questions about how we can assess gaps and help build a more resilience workforce.

More Like This

View All
View All
Subscribe CTA Banner