TLDR
- Amazon’s AWS experienced a day-long outage on October 21, 2025, affecting websites and apps globally
- The problem originated at Amazon’s US-EAST-1 data center in Virginia due to domain name system and DynamoDB database issues
- The outage highlights how the internet depends on just three major cloud providers: Amazon, Microsoft, and Google
- Previous major outages include AWS in 2023 and CrowdStrike’s faulty update affecting Microsoft in 2024
- Smaller companies often cannot afford multiple cloud providers as backup, leaving them vulnerable to outages
Amazon Web Services went offline on October 21, 2025, causing widespread disruption to websites and applications worldwide. The outage lasted most of the workday and affected millions of users.
The problem started at Amazon’s US-EAST-1 data center located in Virginia. Amazon identified the cause as issues with both its domain name system and DynamoDB database service.
The domain name system works like a phone book for the internet. It converts website addresses that people type, into numerical IP addresses that computers can understand.
DynamoDB is Amazon’s database service. It lets customers store and retrieve data for their applications.
These initial problems created a cascade of complications. The issues kept numerous websites and services offline throughout the day.
This outage is not an isolated incident. Similar disruptions have occurred before with the three major cloud providers.
Previous Cloud Service Disruptions
Amazon’s AWS experienced another outage in 2023. That incident also knocked websites offline across the internet.
In 2024, CrowdStrike released a faulty software update. The update caused widespread problems for Microsoft’s cloud services.
The latest Amazon outage demonstrates how fragile the modern internet has become. The entire system relies heavily on just three main cloud providers: Amazon, Microsoft, and Google.
The Cloud Provider Problem
These major tech companies offer clear advantages for hosting internet services. They provide massive resources and standardized systems that keep the internet running smoothly.
However, this concentration of power creates serious vulnerabilities. When one provider goes down, large portions of the internet go down with it.
Large enterprises and government offices often use multiple cloud providers. This redundancy helps them stay online when one provider has problems.
Smaller companies face different challenges. They typically lack the budget to subscribe to multiple cloud services as backup.
This financial limitation leaves them completely vulnerable when their single provider fails. They have no choice but to wait for service restoration.
The current situation is unlikely to change in the near future. Amazon, Microsoft, and Google continue to dominate the cloud services market.
Future outages from these providers will likely cause similar widespread internet disruptions. The three-company dominance shows no signs of weakening.
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