Priya PatelTLDR:
- Former security minister Stephen McPartland’s cyber security plan to deal with IT outage crisis was delayed due to the election.
- Recommendations included setting up a cyber charter to help tackle wide-reaching IT failures.
In a major review into cyber security, former security minister Stephen McPartland highlighted recommendations that would have helped in dealing with the recent IT outage crisis. One of the key suggestions was the establishment of a cyber charter that would allow major companies to collaborate and share best practices to address IT failures that disrupt operations. However, these recommendations were shelved due to the general election called in May by Chancellor Rishi Sunak.
The IT outage crisis, caused by a flawed update in Microsoft systems, led to numerous disruptions including grounded flights, healthcare system disruptions, and television broadcasting issues. McPartland emphasized the importance of businesses working with third-party suppliers to enhance cyber resilience. He called for the government to launch a cyber charter to incentivize collaboration and investment in cyber security measures.
CrowdStrike CEO, George Kurtz, expressed regret over the incident and assured customers that a fix had been deployed. However, he cautioned that systems may take some time to be fully restored. He clarified that the outage was not a security breach but a technical flaw that affected Microsoft Windows PCs globally.
In conclusion, the delay in implementing the recommendations from the McPartland Review has underscored the need for collaborative efforts between government and industry to bolster cyber resilience and address IT outage crises effectively.
