A few weeks ago, a massive global computer outage occurred when Windows computers running CrowdStrike security software crashed. CrowdStrike is popular in corporate installations, which meant that companies around the world, including airlines like Delta Air Lines, were forced to shut down. Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in an interview with CNBC that the CrowdStrike outage caused Delta to cancel about 5,000 flights and could cost the company up to $500 million.
When asked by CNBC if Delta is rethinking its IT strategy, Bastian replied, “Absolutely.” Despite the system redundancy to prevent a total loss of operations, the problem, as Bastian puts it, is that they rely on Windows and CrowdStike throughout their setup. “I feel like [Windows] “It’s the most fragile platform in this space,” Bastian said, then asked, “When was the last time you heard of a major outage at Apple?”
Analysts and IT experts might argue that Apple’s presence in the enterprise is a fraction of Windows’, which is why you never hear about Apple outages. There’s some truth to that, but there’s a more likely technological reason: Apple places strict restrictions on third-party access to the kernel of its operating systems, including macOS. Having to deal with these restrictions makes it a bit harder for third parties to provide the services they want, but it allows Apple to keep the security and availability of the operating system high. This effectively eliminates the risk of a massive crash like the one that CrowdStrike experienced.
Microsoft, for its part, often allows third-party developers access to the Windows kernel, making it easier for third-party solutions to deliver better features, but as the CrowdStrike crash shows, this can lead to disastrous situations. Early testing before release is even more critical in this situation, but as anyone with experience in alpha and beta testing knows, not all bugs can be caught before an official release. The Mac is not immune to bugs and bad updates, but one third-party app can’t bring down the entire system.
Microsoft told the Wall Street Journal that an agreement with the European Commission prevents the company from shutting down its core like Apple, but the European Commission’s Lea Zuber told The Verge: “Microsoft is free to decide its business model and adapt its security infrastructure to respond to threats, provided that this is done in compliance with EU competition law.”
Delta is reportedly going to sue Microsoft and CrowdStrike, so Bastian’s statement was likely meant to pressure Microsoft and CrowdStrike to reconcile with Delta. But Bastian and the CrowdStrike crash highlight a fundamental problem that companies need to consider. And it could mean we start seeing a lot more Macs behind the scenes.
