KHADEEJA BASSIER: Flexibility is our superpower in a glitchy world

I walked into the office on July 19 with a sense of déjà vu washing over me. Two distinct Fridays, separated by months yet eerily similar in their impact. Both days confronted either a region or the entire world with a stark reality: the vulnerability of our interconnected systems to latency (the time it takes for data to travel) and network slowdowns.

The first incident involved undersea cable erosion in March. Once the dust had settled, I couldn’t help but chuckle (nervously) at the irony. We talk about communication being “in the cloud”, but the reality is far more terrestrial — or rather, aquatic. Our global connectivity relies on thick wires draped across ocean floors, a rudimentary infrastructure that belies the complexity of our digital world. When these cables erode, international connections falter, reminding us of the physical underpinnings of our virtual realm.

Months later, another Friday brought the CrowdStrike failure. Social media feeds ignited as the global cybersecurity provider’s hiccup cascaded into worldwide chaos. Airlines grounded flights, banks struggled to process transactions and millions faced the dreaded blue screen of death. What was particularly curious about the incident was that the exposure wasn’t just to people who used CrowdStrike directly, but also others further down the value chain, such as Microsoft users.

One image from that day stands out in my memory. A photo shared on X quickly went viral — an international airport had resorted to whiteboards. Staff were physically writing down flight times as passengers milled around, a sea of confusion punctuated by defunct screens. It was a stark visual representation of our digital dependency and the sudden need to “revert to manual”.

These incidents taught us a crucial lesson: financial systems are particularly vulnerable to latency because, unlike market crashes, it does not trigger automatic shutdowns. The markets continue to operate. I would argue that the lack of visibility injects more uncertainty as investors still expect business-as-usual turnarounds, but the infrastructure to deliver these is severely hampered.

As I reflect on these events I’m struck by how easy it is to take our technological progress for granted. We have become so accustomed to seamless integration that we sometimes forget the complexity underlying our digital world. It is not about pointing fingers or assigning blame —  we are all part of this interconnected system, and we all have a role to play in making it more resilient.

We often talk about operational resilience, but what we sometimes overlook is that the rapid pace of technological innovation is constantly shifting the goalposts. Importantly, it is shifting how we have to respond. It is an ongoing process, and one we are all learning to navigate together. 

So, what can we do? As individuals, we can remember we are more than just data points in the knowledge economy. Our brains and bodies are incredible tools, and maintaining our analogue skills alongside our digital ones can be a form of personal resilience.

Regulators have a role to play, too. By harnessing collective analytics and global regulatory heft they can create more responsive systems for calling war rooms and addressing issues in real time. I have seen first hand how quick responses can mitigate the impacts of network issues.

And what about the tech companies at the heart of these systems? There is an opportunity to shift from the old mantra of “move fast and break things” to “move fast and fix things”. It is about being proactive rather than reactive, anticipating vulnerabilities before they become crises.

The path forward should not be charted from a place of fear. It is about recognising our shared stake in this interconnected world and working together to make it more resilient. It is about maintaining our ability to function, communicate and make decisions, even when systems falter.

Yes, our systems are complex and sometimes vulnerable. But I have also seen the incredible ingenuity and collaboration that emerges when we face these challenges head-on. After all, in a world where a frayed undersea cable or a glitchy malware update can ripple across the globe, our greatest strength lies in our ability to adapt, learn and work together. 

• Bassier is COO at Ninety One.