this post was submitted on 20 Jul 2024
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[–] [email protected] 212 points 4 months ago (7 children)

It's one of the better EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) tools on the market. For enterprises, they are able to suck down tons of system activities and provide alerting for security teams.

For detection, when I say "tons of data", I mean it. Any background logs related to network activity, filesystem activity, command line info, service info, service actions and much more for every endpoint in an organization.

The response component can block execution of apps or completely isolate an endpoint if it is compromised, only allowing access by security staff.

Because Crowdstrike can (kind of) handle that much data and still be able to run rule checks while also providing SOC services makes them a common choice for enterprises.

The problem is that EDR tools need to run at the kernel level (or at a very high permission level) to be able to read that type data and also block it. This increases the risk of catastrophic problems if specific drivers are blocked by another kind of anti-malware service.

When you look at how EDR tools function, there is little difference between them and well written malware.

Crowdstrike became a choice recently for many companies that got fucked over by Broadcom buying VMWare. VMWare owned another tool, Carbon Black, which became subject to the fuckery of Broadcom so more companies scrambled to Crowdstrike recently.

I hope that was enough of a summary.

[–] pastermil 17 points 4 months ago

More than enough! Thanks :)

[–] [email protected] 11 points 4 months ago (2 children)

I assume "endpoint" here means a computer that is on the network?

[–] [email protected] 31 points 4 months ago

Endpoint is any PC/laptop/sign/POS/etc. It's a catchall term for anything that isn't a server. it basically refers to any machine that might be logged into and used by a non-IT user.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 4 months ago

A computer that is used by a user, aka "not a server"

[–] [email protected] 10 points 4 months ago

it was not, go on

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 months ago
[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago

Don't forget the Superbowl ad and a ton of money put into marketing. It's not surprising that it attaracted the attention of executives looking for something to tick an audit checkbox.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago (4 children)
[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Security Operations Center

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago
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[–] [email protected] 54 points 4 months ago (9 children)

It kinda is top of its class in endpoint detection and response software. A lot of cyber security insurance policies will demand you have some kind of EDR to be covered and seeing as Crowdstrike is one of the biggest names they get a lot of buyin from institutions and governments.

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[–] [email protected] 46 points 4 months ago (1 children)

A lot of companies install it for compliance checkboxing.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago

Apart from fjordbasa's caveat RE "ubiquity" above, this is probably the most succinct answer 😐

[–] [email protected] 37 points 4 months ago

It’s not so much that it’s ubiquitous so much as the customers that DID use it were very large and their going down was very noticeable.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Basically, drivers can launch code all the way up to ring 0, the highest level a code can access to. This mean it runs its code with the same priviledges as the kernel itself. The anti-malware solution CrowdStrike makes use of this access to determine what could be going wrong, and deploy solutions accordingly.

If a code running in that level crashes, Windows will rightfully assume there's something really fucked up is going on, and give out a BSOD.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 4 months ago (1 children)

there's something really fucked up going on

I would actually prefer this kind of error over the usual and equally uninformative "Oopsie! Something went wrong. We're sorry :("

[–] [email protected] 11 points 4 months ago (3 children)

When an operating system allows a single misbehaving program to take down the whole computer and leave it unbootable. I thought we left that behind with Windows 95.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 4 months ago (4 children)

Drivers usually run in kernel space, where a crash can bring the whole system down. This is not exclusive to Windows

[–] [email protected] 10 points 4 months ago

Yes but only in Windows land do you see jillions of (proprietary) drivers made by 3rd parties. Many of which self-update.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

That has been a thing forever. I doubt it will ever go away.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 4 months ago

https://youtu.be/4yDm6xNeYas?si=0VzBxIuPEHC4SMaa

This fireship video is a good, short explanation.