Google handles most of its antivirus and cybersecurity measures in-house, with automatic updates running in the background and initiated by Google itself. While apps are available to add an extra layer of security to what Google already offers, Google's antivirus and cybersecurity protection measures are enough for most Google Cloud and Google Workspace users.
Microsoft also has its own cloud-pushed software updates, but Microsoft customers rely more on antivirus and cybersecurity software available from third parties for everyday protection. One of the largest vendors of these solutions is CrowdStrike, which suffered a catastrophic failure during an update to its software on July 19, 2024, that only affected Microsoft computers.
What happened in the CrowdStrike failure?
It is important to point out that although Microsoft had a failure of its Azure cloud services on the same date as the much larger CrowdStrike failure, these two failures were not connected. The fault for the larger outage was with CrowdStrike and not with Microsoft.
According to TechCrunch, the problem started with a defect in a CrowdStrike security product, Falcon Sensor, that was unintentionally discovered when the company released a software update. This defect caused Windows computers it was installed on to crash and become stuck on the dreaded blue screen of death.
The problem was that Falcon Sensor wasn't just loaded onto personal computers, but onto point-of-sale systems, kiosks, servers, and other machines that ran a Windows operating system. The outage began in Australia early on July 19 and spread across the world, interrupting banking, air travel, and other important everyday operations.
The problem was fixed quickly with a patch, but many of these systems took days to recover. It has been called the largest outage in computing history. System administrators and IT personnel worked overtime to deploy CrowdStrike's fix globally.
Why did it affect only Microsoft-based systems?
CrowdStrike's services are not limited to Microsoft. It also offers extra layers of security for Google Cloud and Google Workspace. However, the issue only crashed Microsoft-based computers and systems. This is partially because Google's Chromebooks are cloud-based, with the Chrome browser acting as these machines' de facto operating system.
The CrowdStrike update corrupted the Windows operating system on Windows computers, giving business users another reason to switch to Chromebooks. While no system is completely secure from error or cyberattacks, the simplicity of using the Chrome browser over Windows as an operating system provides less potential points of failure. If, for some reason, there is a problem with the Chrome browser itself, the computer will still start and the browser will be fine after an update.
If something happens with a product that integrates deeply with a Windows operating system, restarting may not be possible and an IT professional will have to step in to fix the problem.
Security takeaways for Google users
For enterprise users who are using CrowdStrike applications with Google Cloud or Workspace, these applications are still recommended by Google. Google has not yet issued any communications that distance it from CrowdStrike, which has built a significant reputation in cybersecurity. While this incident will mean a big reputational hit for CrowdStrike, Google does not yet seem to have an issue with what has been up until now one of the biggest names in cybersecurity.
While users of Chromebooks and Apple computers may be patting themselves on the back for making the right choice, Google Workspace users should take a closer look at how many connected apps they are using. Hacker News reported in 2023 that Google Workspace users had a "shockingly high" number of connected third-party apps, all of which are potential points of entry for bad actors. Google has taken recent steps to address this.
Google Limiting Third-Party Apps in Workspace
Google has taken increasing steps in the past few years to eliminate or limit the use of third-party apps with Google Workspace. They are highly prevalent, mostly because individual users generally install an app to perform one function, and then never use that function again. For example, they may have installed an app to open and work on a PDF file in Google Workspace before their organization purchased a license for Adobe Acrobat. That app is still there, running in the background and waiting to be misused.
As a result, Google is removing support for less secure third-party apps in September of 2024, and you can read more about it here. It doesn't mean that you can't use third-party apps anymore, just that extra layers of security are being employed so that you'll only be able to use apps from larger software companies which are implementing the kind of security that Google is looking for. Chances are good that many of the minor apps your users have installed have been replaced with native functionality in Google Docs, so there shouldn't be much disruption to your workflow when the ax falls.
AI Security Add-On for Google Workspace
If you're looking for an added layer of security for Google Workspace, consider the AI Security add-on. Powered by Google's AI suite, Gemini, the AI Security add-on acts as a constant sentinel for your business for the low cost of $10 per user. With it, IT teams will be empowered with automatic classification and protection of sensitive files on Google Drive as well as other measures to keep your data safe.
While there are many other good reasons to use a browser-based operating system, the CrowdStrike failure was a stark reminder to businesses that legacy hardware-based operating systems are an inferior way of doing business.
While Apple has managed to dodge issues with its hardware-based iOS, it is largely because it actively discourages third-party applications with its famous "walled garden" approach. Giving third parties access to an operating system in a manner that lets them manipulate whether or not the machine even loads properly is arguably a big mistake, even if that app is supposed to be rendering the machine more secure.
The key takeaway for Google business users is to explore Google's own security solutions, limit the use of third-party apps, and consider switching to Chromebooks to replace Windows-based computers in your organization.
Are you thinking of switching to Chromebooks and/or Google Workspace after the Crowdstrike failure? Get in touch with us to find out how we can help manage your transition seamlessly.
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