CrowdStrike executive to testify on IT outage before US Congress
Adam Meyers, a top executive from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, is set to testify before the US House Homeland Security Committee. The testimony, scheduled for September 24, will focus on the global IT outage that occurred on July 19. This widespread disruption affected various sectors including aviation and corporate workplaces. Initially, the committee had requested CrowdStrike's CEO George Kurtz to appear but he is not currently listed as a witness.
Committee chair expresses anticipation for Meyers's testimony
Committee Chair Mark Green (R-TN) expressed his anticipation for Meyers's testimony. He stated that while he had hoped for Kurtz's presence, he is eager to hear from Meyers, whom CrowdStrike has assured is the right person to discuss the outage details. Green emphasized that Americans deserve a thorough understanding of how this incident occurred and what measures CrowdStrike is implementing to prevent similar disruptions in the future.
Green highlights need for cyber hygiene amid growing threats
Green highlighted the flawed software update that affected 8.5 million Windows machines as a demonstration of the urgent need for improved cyber hygiene and resilience. He noted that our increasing dependence on interconnected IT systems has broadened the risk landscape. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), chair of the subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection, also emphasized the significance of this hearing in understanding CrowdStrike's response to prevent future outages.
