System Collapses Are Preventable, Not Unpredictable
New research delves into the anatomy of modern technology collapses, finding five catalysts account for approximately 90% of all outages. These include:
- Software bugs
- Security breaches
- Configuration problems
- Database mistakes
- Infrastructure failures
According to the research, these findings suggest that that when systems collapse, it is most likely due to a preventable error rather than an unpredictable event. Even security breaches, which may appear out of an organization's control, are often the result of preventable issues due to improper vulnerability management.
Software bugs and logic errors account for most technology outages at 38%. The research cites the CrowdStrike incident in 2024 as a prime example of how faulty patches can lead to systems shutting down.
With preventative issues being the leading cause of system failure, the research encourages organizations to focus on the fundamentals of security, such as patching vulnerabilities promptly, testing code prior to deployment, and monitoring system limits.
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