Cybersecurity boost: Packaging learns from IT outages

While internet connectivity has generally become more stable, businesses must remain aware of potential disruptions and their impacts. Credit: Ascannio / Shutterstock

I​​​​​​​n recent weeks, two major cybersecurity incidents have disrupted the tech industry, impacting numerous sectors including packaging.  

On 19 July 2024, a misconfiguration in a CrowdStrike update led to a global IT breakdown, followed by a Microsoft Azure outage on 30 July, caused by a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack.  

These incidents have exposed vulnerabilities in digital infrastructures and highlighted the critical need for robust cybersecurity measures across industries. 

On 19 July 2024, CrowdStrike released a faulty configuration update for its Falcon sensor software on Windows systems. This update caused a logic error, leading to system crashes and widespread outages globally.  

The issue arose from an internal error within the configuration file update process, not from a cyberattack. Systems running Falcon sensor for Windows version 7.11 and above, which were online between 04:09 and 05:27 UTC, were impacted​. 

The outage had extensive repercussions, affecting global businesses and critical infrastructures, such as airlines. Over 5,000 flights were cancelled worldwide due to IT failures, demonstrating the pervasive integration of CrowdStrike's software across various sectors​.  

The incident highlighted the logistical challenges of addressing such outages, as systems required manual intervention for resolution​. 

On 30 July 2024, Microsoft Azure suffered a significant outage triggered by a DDoS attack, which was compounded by an internal misconfiguration​. This outage disrupted Microsoft's cloud services, affecting numerous businesses reliant on Azure for operations.​ 

While Microsoft swiftly addressed the issue, it underscored the escalating sophistication of cyber threats targeting cloud infrastructures. 

The Azure outage's effects were felt across industries dependent on cloud-based services for daily operations. Companies in the packaging sector, which rely heavily on digital platforms for supply chain management, production scheduling, and logistics, experienced delays and operational setbacks​.  

This incident reinforced the necessity for companies to establish robust cybersecurity frameworks and contingency plans to mitigate such disruptions. 

The recent IT outages have underscored several key considerations for the packaging industry in enhancing cybersecurity: 

1. Investment in cybersecurity: The incidents emphasise the importance of cybersecurity investments to protect digital assets. Packaging companies must adopt comprehensive security measures and risk management strategies to safeguard operations from similar disruptions. 
2. Cloud service evaluation: With increasing reliance on cloud services, packaging firms need to assess the reliability and security of their cloud providers. Establishing diversified systems and backup options can help mitigate the impact of cloud service failures. 
3. Operational resilience: Building operational resilience is crucial. This involves developing robust disaster recovery plans and ensuring IT staff are trained to handle system failures efficiently. Implementing redundancies in critical systems can prevent single points of failure. 
4. Vendor accountability and collaboration: The outages highlight the need for clear accountability and communication between vendors and clients. Companies should work closely with technology providers to ensure timely updates and swift resolution of issues. 

The CrowdStrike and Microsoft Azure outages serve as a wake-up call for the packaging industry to bolster its cybersecurity infrastructure.  

By enhancing security measures, investing in resilient systems, and fostering strong partnerships with technology providers, packaging companies can better navigate the complexities of the digital age and safeguard their operations against future cybersecurity threats.