The mass global IT outage has exposed the vulnerability of modern daily life when technology fails.
The chaos, which impacted businesses and services worldwide, from GP appointments and flights to news broadcasts and online payments, is thought to have been triggered by a security software update rather than any kind of deliberate cyber attack by a hostile state of malicious individuals.
However, given the scale of the disruption, this disaster demonstrates just how powerful cyber and software could be if used as a weapon.
Follow live: Major services across the world affected by outage
It is why any actual act of war by one state against another would always be expected to include a cyber dimension, with the ability to take the frontline into people’s homes, offices, or anywhere that there is a computer.
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How outage caused global chaos
Just imagine having to deal with being knocked offline and unable to receive communications, make payments, or travel as some kind of physical, real-world military strike was taking place.
Ukrainian citizens have to endure Russian cyber attacks – a tactic that ramped up in the weeks before the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
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The fact Friday’s global disruption was not a malicious cyber hack will be slim comfort given the impact that even just a mistaken software glitch has had across continents.
But, it should be yet a massive wake-up call for governments, industry and individuals about the need for greater resilience against the potential for computer codes to go wrong.
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This would not only shore up economies against future mistakes but also build up defences to protect nations should the next major attack be a deliberate cyber assault.
Al Lakhani, a cyber security expert, said in a statement: “This incident underscores the importance of businesses thoroughly researching and vetting their cybersecurity solutions before implementation.”
He added: “The lesson here is blindingly obvious: investing in cybersecurity is not just about acquiring the latest or most popular tools but ensuring those tools are reliable and resilient.”