The recent CrowdStrike incident, which occurred on July 19, 2024, serves as a wake-up call for businesses to re-evaluate their reliance on key technology providers and the measures they have in place to protect their operations. This incident highlights the importance of robust ERP systems and the role they play in maintaining business continuity and security.  

For businesses using ERP solutions like MYOB Acumatica (formerly MYOB Advanced), this event underscores the need for proactive measures to mitigate risks associated with downtime. 

Detailed Insights into the CrowdStrike Outage

The CrowdStrike outage disrupted a wide range of cloud-based security services, impacting clients’ ability to access the Falcon platform, crucial for real-time threat detection. The root cause was identified as a technical failure within CrowdStrike’s cloud infrastructure.  

During the CrowdStrike outage, users were advised to take additional precautions, such as enabling local firewalls and closely monitoring for unusual activity. While CrowdStrike has since implemented measures to prevent a recurrence, the incident emphasizes the need for businesses to have comprehensive systems in place to manage and respond to such disruptions. 

The Cost of Negligence: Downtime Risks and Realities

Neglecting the potential for downtime can have severe consequences for businesses, particularly those without a reliable ERP provider and system: 

1. Financial Losses: Direct losses from halted operations and indirect costs like overtime for recovery efforts. 
2. Operational Disruptions: Interruptions in critical business processes, including order fulfillment and customer service. 
3. Reputation Damage: Loss of customer trust and potential market share due to perceived unreliability. 

Things to Look for When Choosing a Reliable ERP Provider 

When selecting an ERP provider, it’s essential to consider the following attributes to ensure reliability and support: 

1. Vendor Reputation and Longevity: Look for providers with a proven track record, such as MYOB Acumatica, which has been a trusted name for years. 
2. Comprehensive Support: Ensure the provider offers robust support services, including 24/7 customer service and clear SLAs for response times. 
3. Proactive Maintenance and Updates: A reliable provider will offer regular updates and proactive system maintenance to prevent issues before they occur. 

How MYOB Acumatica Can Help Protect Your Business Operations 

MYOB Acumatica, formerly MYOB Advanced, offers a comprehensive ERP solution designed to enhance your business’s operational resilience and continuity. As part of our commitment to providing reliable and robust systems, we have implemented several key measures to ensure your business runs smoothly even in the face of disruptions:

• • Secure and Reliable Platform: MYOB Acumatica is built on a stable infrastructure that ensures the reliable performance of your business applications. We adhere to best practices in system management to maintain high availability and data integrity.  

• • Continuous Monitoring and Support: Our dedicated team continuously monitors the system to quickly identify and resolve any issues, minimizing the risk of unexpected downtimes. This proactive approach helps maintain uninterrupted business operations.  

• • Regular System Updates and Maintenance: To keep our platform at the forefront of technological advancements, we regularly update MYOB Acumatica with new features and improvements. MYOB carefully plans and executes these updates to minimize disruptions and ensure your system always runs optimally.

• • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): We provide robust security measures, including multi-factor authentication, to safeguard access to your system. This helps protect against unauthorized access and ensures that only authorized personnel can access critical business data. 

MYOB takes the privacy and security of our clients’ business data very seriously. We use and follow industry best practices, including: 

• ISO 31000 Risk Management Standard: Globally recognized for effective risk management. 
• ISO 27001 Information Security Management Standard: Our security controls are based on this standard to ensure robust information security management. 
• Internal Security Team: Responsible for the management and monitoring of all products and services. 
• Secured Encrypted Channels: Ensures that the transmission of data between your computer/browser and the MYOB product is not compromised. 
• Compliance with PCI DSS: Ensures the secure handling of credit card data. 
• Compliance with Australian and New Zealand Privacy Laws: Adheres to the Australian Privacy Principles. For more details, please visit MYOB’s Group Privacy Policy. 

MYOB also engages external security vendors for independent testing of our products, using the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) Application Security Verification Standard. This testing provides:

• A yardstick for assessing the degree of trust that can be placed in our online products. 
• Guidance to our product engineers about building security controls to satisfy application security requirements. 

Additionally, MYOB’s BankFeeds feature implements banking security standards for data transmission, ensuring secure linkage of the client’s transaction data between the supplier and MYOB. This feature complies with PCI DSS, a security standard set by major credit card companies. 

World-Class Partners 

MYOB partners with leading suppliers like Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services, ensuring key infrastructure and services such as monitoring for suspicious activity, physical security, server and power redundancy, and built-in firewalls. For more information about security, privacy, and compliance, please refer to the Microsoft Azure Compliance and Amazon Web Services Compliance pages. 

By leveraging MYOB Acumatica, your business benefits from advanced security measures, keeping your data protected and operations secure.

How AlphaBiz Solutions Supports Your Business 

At AlphaBiz Solutions, we understand the importance of continuity and support during downtimes or disruptions. With over 15 years of experience and hundreds of successful implementations, we are a trusted partner in the ERP landscape. Our commitment includes: 

• Reliable Support: We provide prompt and effective support, ensuring that any issues are addressed swiftly to minimise downtime. 
• Best Practices in System Upgrades: We collaborate with clients to plan and execute system upgrades, ensuring minimal disruption. Our approach includes thorough testing and scheduling upgrades during non-peak periods to avoid impacting business operations. 
• Continuous Enhancements: We work closely with clients to implement continuous improvements, ensuring their systems evolve to meet changing business needs. This includes comprehensive scoping, documentation, implementation, and testing. 

Conclusion 

The CrowdStrike outage is a crucial reminder of the ever-present cyber threats facing businesses today. By recognizing potential risks and taking proactive measures, you can reduce the impact of such incidents on your operations.  

Implementing a robust ERP system like MYOB Acumatica not only streamlines your business processes but also fortifies your cybersecurity defences. Don’t wait for the next outage; act now to protect your business and ensure its long-term success. 

Weave security into everything you do by implementing MYOB Acumatica. To learn how it can enhance your business’s security and efficiency, book a non-obligatory demo with our expert ERP consultants at AlphaBiz Solutions today. Discover the difference a comprehensive business management platform can make in safeguarding your operations.