Swiss professor:

Lawsuits after Crowdstrike breakdown will be groundbreaking

A faulty update from IT security provider Crowdstrike caused bluescreens worldwide.

(Bild: flickr.com/jmarty)

The claims for damages following the global IT breakdown of Crowdstrike around a week ago are likely to be groundbreaking. Matthias Stürmer, professor of digitalization at Bern University of Applied Sciences, believes this will be the case.

For the Swiss air navigation service provider Skyguide - one victim among many - however, he sees no chance of a lawsuit. The air traffic control company affected by the IT breakdown was poorly prepared, said Stürmer. There were delays and flight cancellations at Zurich Airport a week ago.

Crowdstrike secured itself in general terms and conditions
According to the Bernese researcher, Crowdstrike must nevertheless expect claims for damages. For Skyguide, however, the chances are likely to be slim.

In its general terms and conditions, Crowdstrike states that the cyber security software should not be used for critical applications. Air traffic control is explicitly mentioned.

According to Stürmer, this puts Skyguide in a predicament in the event of a lawsuit against Crowdstrike. Air traffic control had to agree to the terms and conditions, otherwise it would not have been able to use the software.