Massive Outage Disrupts Top Websites and Services: What You Need to Know

A significant cloud computing service faced a major outage on Monday morning, disrupting thousands of websites and apps. Among those affected were popular retailers, publishers, and games.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) reported the issue at 12:11 a.m. PT. They mentioned an “operational issue” impacting 14 services in their northern Virginia center. The AWS health dashboard confirmed increased error rates and delays for multiple services in the US-EAST-1 region.

Users flocked to social media to express their frustrations, noting problems with cloud-based games like Roblox and Fortnite, as well as platforms like Snapchat and Amazon Prime Video. Even Coinbase, the largest U.S. cryptocurrency exchange, reported service unavailability due to the AWS outage.

Prominent media organizations, including Disney and the New York Times, were not spared from the disruption, as noted by Downdetector. Compounding the issue, AWS’s automated support system was also offline, making it difficult for customers to report their problems.

The root of the outage was traced to an error with DynamoDB, a system AWS uses to manage database tables. By 5 a.m. ET, AWS engineers had pinpointed a potential cause and were exploring multiple solutions to restore services.

AWS plays a vital role in cloud computing, hosting vast amounts of customer data and online services. Recently, AWS reported a staggering $107 billion in revenue for the 2024 financial year, accounting for 17% of Amazon’s total earnings.

In today’s digital landscape, reliance on cloud services is greater than ever. A recent survey showed that 94% of enterprises use cloud services. Such outages remind us of the fragility of these systems and the ripple effect they can have across various sectors.

This event underscores the need for companies to have contingencies in place. As technology continues to evolve, understanding the potential risks associated with cloud reliance is crucial.



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