The MSP community pulls together to help clean the Crowdstrike/Microsoft chaos
In the aftermath of the global IT outage triggered by a faulty CrowdStrike update, the IT community has come together to offer support and assistance. Leaders from various Managed Service Providers (MSPs) have shared their efforts in providing crucial help to those impacted by the disruption.
For example, Henry Timm, president of Phantom Technology Solutions in Rolling Prairie, Indiana, has been proactively identifying customers who might need co-managed IT support. "We’re helping by offering community support, helping with recovery plans, offering up our staff to augment the MSSPs, and helping wherever we can," Timm said.
He emphasized the spirit of reciprocity within the community: "Hey, I know that everyone’s morning is messed up, ours is now messed up too, but we’re here to help and support you guys. We know if the shoe was on the other foot, they’d drop things to help us."
The sheer number of endpoints requiring manual attention has overwhelmed many businesses, Timm noted as he recounted a situation where he stepped in to assist a business whose IT manager was traveling overseas, striving to stabilize their operations. "Overall, there’s been a positive response where people have shown empathy. They’ve openly offered to do what they can, shared solutions and are offering to be just an extra set of hands."
Similarly, Jack Skinner, CTO of Oversee My IT in Lewisville, Texas, has been leveraging community networks to spread the word about available resources and guidance. "People join communities for this exact reason. They expect that support to come from those communities when this happens. We can put boots on the ground and send a tech to help. That’s why we’re here, to pull together and help each other," Skinner said.
In Toledo, Ohio, Jason Slagle, president of CNWR, has been closely monitoring the situation, particularly for his co-managed customers. "I am keeping my eye out for others. Unfortunately, due to the nature of this problem, it’s not really easy to help," he remarked. The outage requires hands-on fixes, making remote assistance challenging.
"There’s not really a lot you can do," Slagle admitted, but he remains vigilant for local businesses needing on-site support. "We are a community so what people need to realize is sometimes we have bad days. The community will be judged by how we treat each other on our worst days."
Reflecting on the broader impact, Slagle highlighted the human element often overlooked in technical crises. "It’s really easy to pile on and throw mud at CrowdStrike, but they’re people too. However bad your day is, I imagine the people at CrowdStrike are having an even worse day, so don’t lose sight of that."
As businesses navigate the aftermath of the outage, the collaborative efforts of these IT professionals underscore the strength and solidarity of the community, proving that in times of crisis, support and empathy prevail.
