In early July 2024, a software update was automatically pushed by CrowdStrike to Windows PCs around the world. Within hours, problems started to manifest on around 8.5m computers worldwide. In due course, the update caused enough problems that flights were grounded and patients sent elsewhere in the world’s hospitals.
This is the case against the auto-update.
The common misconception that keeping your IT up to date with the latest software patches is the epitome of good IT support. Waiting for the necessary testing to be completed before deployment is the true hallmark of a professional IT support team. If you want Managed IT Support Near Me, https://www.majestecltd.co.uk/managed-it-support/ is a good place to start.
This process is known as change management or staged deployment. The method whereby an update is distributed to a test group of machines first, then a wider group of machines or a ‘canary ring’ of machines, and then distributed to all machines. Typically this would occur in the middle of the night and would be scheduled in advance. The window in which updates are deployed is a precious commodity and should be used wisely.
The NCSC’s vulnerability management guidance states that the aim of update deployment is to carry out a controlled and tested release of changes to software or systems, as a poorly deployed patch can cause more problems than the bug it was trying to fix.
When someone types in “Managed IT Support Near Me” they typically are envisioning someone who can rush to their location to fix a problem when it happens. They rarely want to have to deal with the aftermath of a major problem. However, the great work of Managed IT Support happens in the dead of night on a Tuesday at 2am when all is quiet. A careful IT technician is watching a single test machine reboot to see if the rest of the office will have a normal morning.
