By Sri Nurhayati, Techmind.id

When CrowdStrike experienced a major disruption causing blue screens for Windows users worldwide, the impact was widespread and profound. This incident triggered panic among users and highlighted the vulnerability of the security systems we rely on. In an exclusive interview, Techmind spoke with Carlo Minassian, Founder and CEO of LMNTRIX, a leading cybersecurity company based in California, to gain insight into what actually happened and how this event affects the cybersecurity industry as a whole.

The CrowdStrike incident had a significant impact on the cybersecurity landscape. Moreover, this event affected customers globally, including Australia. LMNTRIX clients who also used CrowdStrike were forced to disable and remove CrowdStrike agents to address the blue screen issues caused by the deployment error. LMNTRIX’s proactive identification of this problem allowed their clients to address the issue before an official fix was available.

In this interview, Carlo Minassian also noted that incidents like this could happen to any vendor performing patch updates or signature changes. This emphasizes the need for empathy and support within the industry. He also mentioned that this incident revealed a critical vulnerability: 62% of enterprise security controls are provided by just 15 major vendors, including Microsoft and Palo Alto Networks. When one of these vendors experiences problems, the impact can be enormous, potentially affecting millions of companies.

Tips for Choosing a Cybersecurity Partner

From this incident, we must also learn and understand the cybersecurity landscape. Especially for companies that will collaborate with or choose cybersecurity service providers, they must be more careful and smart. Carlo Minassian provides tips on how to choose cybersecurity:

Change Control
First, implement strict change control processes, updating hosts gradually with client approval. This approach minimizes exposure and limits potential issues to a smaller subset of clients, reducing the risk of widespread problems.

Proof of Concept
Conduct thorough proof of concept in your environment. Evaluate the actual results delivered by the solution rather than relying on brand reputation or market presence. Focus on the effectiveness and results of the solution in your specific context.

Outcome-Based Assessment
Assess cybersecurity investments based on performance and outcomes. For example, LMNTRIX detects and handles numerous incidents within 30 days, unlike some vendors who may not provide significant results despite large investments in security operations.

Avoid Trend-Based Choices
Fourth, avoid choosing vendors solely based on their sales and marketing efforts. Instead, prioritize product capabilities and real-world performance. Large vendors often spend heavily on marketing to dominate the market, but their products may offer similar capabilities to smaller, less promoted solutions.

LMNTRIX specializes in detecting and responding to threats that successfully bypass existing security controls. Their expertise lies in identifying threats that slip through traditional security measures such as firewalls, web security, and email security solutions.

Once a threat is detected, LMNTRIX replaces the entire incident response process, including validation, investigation, isolation, and remediation.

62% of enterprise security controls are provided by just 15 major vendors, including Microsoft and Palo Alto Networks.

This comprehensive approach ensures that clients get effective results: complex threats are well-managed and resolved, while smoothly recovering and isolating incidents.

What Differentiates LMNTRIX from Other Cybersecurity Companies

To achieve this, LMNTRIX has developed advanced technology known as Extended Detection and Response (XDR), which includes 12 modules. One of its modules is Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), a crucial component in threat management. While CrowdStrike offers limited modules, LMNTRIX’s extensive range of modules allows for more in-depth coverage. Their XDR capabilities put them ahead of many competitors, with many large vendors currently trying to catch up in this field. LMNTRIX operates in the Managed Detection and Response (MDR) and XDR space, providing a combination of technological sophistication and human expertise.

“The CrowdStrike BSOD incident serves as a serious warning for all companies to re-evaluate their cybersecurity strategies. Relying on a single cybersecurity provider can be very risky. By using various modules, the impact of similar incidents can be minimized. A layered security approach that combines multiple vendors and technologies offers better protection and resilience. This reminds us not to just follow trends and choose vendors solely based on their popularity, but also to take proactive steps in ensuring strong and diverse cybersecurity defenses,” said Carlo Minassian.

By adopting a distributed approach and focusing on outcome-based assessments, companies can better protect themselves from future incidents. LMNTRIX’s proactive steps and comprehensive services illustrate the value of having a strong and adaptive cybersecurity partner.

(This article first appeared on Techmind.id in Bahasa Indonesia)