[THE VIEW] Cloud Risks Even Microsoft Couldn't Prevent

Damage Spreads to Thousands of Companies Worldwide
Concerns Rise Over Security Vulnerabilities and Large-Scale Outages
Urgent Need to Prepare for Cyberattacks

Recently, Microsoft's major services experienced a large-scale outage worldwide. This outage occurred due to a system crash caused by an update error in CrowdStrike, affecting hundreds of millions of users and thousands of companies globally. Notably, essential cloud-based services were impacted. This incident demonstrated that even companies like Microsoft, which provide global-scale cloud services, can face unexpected outages.

Cloud-based services play a crucial role in the smooth operation of various industries and companies, as well as in the daily tasks of millions of users worldwide. In the financial industry, financial institutions use these services for internal and external communications; the outage caused delays in real-time transaction processing and customer support. This led to decreased customer trust and direct financial losses.

In the healthcare industry, Microsoft's cloud services are used for patient record management and telemedicine. The outage delayed healthcare service delivery, adversely affecting patient treatment. Furthermore, it disrupted emergency response efforts.

Manufacturers suffered significant economic losses as production lines halted due to the suspension of production management systems. In the aviation industry, major disruptions occurred in reservation systems, check-in services, and flight schedule management, causing customer inconvenience and operational difficulties for airlines.

The core issue of this incident is not merely the losses suffered by businesses and consumers but the clear exposure of vulnerabilities in cloud-based systems. While cloud services enhance business operational efficiency and offer various advantages, security vulnerabilities can lead to large-scale outages. As dependence on digital infrastructure increases, risk management for outages becomes even more critical. Emergency plans and recovery strategies capable of rapid response to outages are necessary. Additionally, cloud service providers must strengthen stability through continuous system inspections and improvements.

Implementing diverse backup systems and multi-cloud strategies can also be solutions. Instead of relying on a single service, utilizing multiple cloud providers to distribute risk allows business continuity through alternative routes during service interruptions. Lastly, although this service outage was not caused by a cyberattack, the increasing sophistication of cyberattacks has made it more important than ever for companies to enhance their security systems.

This communication outage reaffirmed the importance of strengthening network configuration and management processes in the digital age. To this end, comprehensive countermeasures including enhanced network management, adoption of multi-cloud strategies, reinforcement of backup systems, establishment of crisis response plans, and security enhancements must be prepared. Companies should consider alternative technologies such as edge computing, distributed ledger technology, and hybrid cloud to strengthen service stability and reliability, enabling more effective responses to future outages. As dependence on digital infrastructure is expected to increase further, continuous investment and collaboration in risk management are required.

Son Yunseok, Professor at the University of Notre Dame, USA