Blackpoint's POV on the CrowdStrike Update Incident: A Lesson in Endpoint Protection

When CrowdStrike’s recent update went sideways, it sent shockwaves through the cybersecurity community. Suddenly, IT teams everywhere were asking themselves: “Could this happen to us?” It’s a fair question and one that deserves a thoughtful answer. At Blackpoint, we’ve been fielding calls from partners and clients alike, all wanting to know how we safeguard against similar incidents.

Let’s dive into what happened with CrowdStrike and, more importantly, how Blackpoint’s approach to endpoint protection differs in ways that matter.

CrowdStrike recently experienced an issue with their ‘Rapid Response Content’ update, a component separate from their main endpoint agent software. This incident highlighted the potential risks associated with content updates designed to enhance detection and response capabilities. The fallout was significant, affecting numerous systems and causing widespread concern in the industry.

While we empathize with the challenges faced by CrowdStrike, we believe it’s crucial to explain how Blackpoint’s methodology differs:

1. Phased Deployment Strategy: we employ a measured approach to software updates. Our process involves deploying updates to a small subset of our client base, thoroughly validating performance, and then gradually expanding the rollout. This method significantly reduces the risk of widespread issues.
2. Cloud-Based Correlation: Our proprietary action engine correlates collected metadata in the cloud, presenting a comprehensive view to our SOC Analysts alongside a live network map. This integration enables us to track and respond to threats across processes, endpoints, and networks with greater efficiency.
3. Human-Led Threat Detection and Response: While our action engine provides powerful automated detection, Blackpoint doesn’t stop there. We augment our technology with human expertise. Our skilled SOC analysts review the engine’s findings, providing a crucial layer of nuanced interpretation and decision-making. This human-centric approach allows us to contextualize threats, reduce false positives, and craft more effective response strategies. Our agents serve as conduits for near-real-time metadata collection, ensuring our analysts always have the most up-to-date information at their fingerprints.
4. Managed Application Control: The only component of our system that utilizes ‘pushed out’ rules is our Managed Application Control. Rather than adhering to rigid SLAs, we update these rules based on real-world exploitability and threat intelligence.

At our core, Blackpoint operates on a paradigm different from traditional EDRs. We believe in combining advanced technology with human insight to create a more responsive and adaptable security ecosystem. This approach not only enhances our ability to detect and respond to threats but also maintains stability in our systems.

Our focus on human-led threat detection means that we’re not solely reliant on automated systems that could potentially malfunction. Instead, our SOC Analysts provide an additional layer of scrutiny and decision-making that can catch and mitigate issues before they become widespread problems.

Moreover, our phased deployment strategy for updates acts as a safeguard against the kind of large-scale disruption seen in the CrowdStrike incident. By testing updates on a small scale first, we can identify and resolve potential issues before they affect our entire client base and the businesses they serve.

As cyber threats continue to grow and evolve, so too must our strategies for protecting against them. We believe that the CrowdStrike incident serves as a valuable lesson for the entire industry. It underscores the importance of careful update management, the value of human oversight, and the need for robust, multi-layered security approaches.

In an era where cyber threats are becoming increasingly sophisticated, it’s crucial to have a security partner that values stability as much as cutting-edge protection. Blackpoint strives to be that partner, offering a balanced approach that keeps your systems secure without compromising on reliability.

Our commitment to you is simple: we’ll continue to innovate and improve our services, always with an eye towards maintaining the stability and integrity of your systems. Because at the end of the day, effective cybersecurity isn’t just about having the latest features—it’s about having a reliable, consistent defense against threats.

Stay vigilant, stay secure, and remember: in the world of cybersecurity, stability is just as crucial as agility. With Blackpoint, you don’t have to choose between the two.