October 22, 2025

Widespread Disruption from AWS Outage Affects Businesses Globally

News Summary

On October 20, 2025, an Amazon Web Services outage caused significant disruptions worldwide, impacting businesses and consumers. Services like Toast and mobile payment options were down, leading to losses for small businesses and disrupted daily activities. The outage peaked with over 15,000 user reports on Downdetector, affecting major platforms and essential services. Experts warned of billions in financial losses, highlighting concerns over cloud service reliability. The incident emphasized the need for organizations to rethink their dependence on major providers and prepare for future disruptions.

Norwood, Massachusetts – On October 20, 2025, a serious outage hit Amazon Web Services (AWS), a vital part of the internet infrastructure, leading to widespread disruptions for businesses and consumers around the globe. As the outage unfolded, many services were interrupted, affecting both daily activities and critical operations.

Small businesses such as Maha Juice Bar in Norwood reported significant losses, estimating that they missed out on hundreds of orders due to the outage. The Toast ordering system, commonly employed by eateries, was offline throughout the day, which impeded sales and credit card transactions. Meanwhile, customers at Golden Salon struggled to leave tips as many mobile payment options were rendered unavailable during the incident. The outage created a ripple effect across numerous sectors, given that AWS supports about one-third of all internet traffic worldwide.

At the peak of the outage, over 15,000 users reported issues with AWS services on Downdetector, a platform that tracks website outages. Although that number later declined to approximately 10,300, the impact was felt nationwide as popular websites and applications, including Snapchat, Facebook, and the gaming platform Fortnite, encountered difficulties. The incident also affected essential services tied to banking, airlines including Delta and United, and various communication platforms. Reports indicated that around 6.5 million global outage reports were submitted during the incident, notably affecting the United States and the United Kingdom.

As businesses scrambled to recover, cybersecurity experts warned that the outage could result in billions of dollars in financial losses. The CEO of Catchpoint estimated that economic ramifications might reach into the hundreds of billions due to the halting of operations and loss in productivity. This incident has raised questions about the stability of large cloud service providers like AWS, which many depend on for reliable internet functionalities.

Amazon attributed the outage to DNS (Domain Name System) resolution problems connected to the DynamoDB API in the US-EAST-1 region. By the afternoon on that same day, Amazon announced that most systems were back online, but numerous users continued to report lingering issues. To alleviate some challenges, Amazon suggested that companies clear their caches as a temporary fix to restore access to services.

The outage underscored the fragile nature of internet services. As reliance on a few cloud providers increases, experts have cautioned about the systemic risks posed by any service outages. The incident drew attention to how dependent consumers and businesses have become on cloud computing architectures, emphasizing the need for companies to develop redundant systems to continue operations when major services falter.

Many users experienced disruptions not only in casual interactions but also in critical and everyday activities like delayed flights and the inability to conduct transactions for essential needs. Following an earlier reported “fully mitigated” outage by Amazon, questions arose regarding the stability of their cloud systems, increasing concerns among users regarding future interruptions.

The worldwide implications of this outage serve as a clarion call for businesses to reconsider their cloud service dependencies, reinforcing the need for preparedness in the face of potential future disruptions. Organizations are urged to create alternative systems to buffer against risks associated with reliance on a limited number of cloud platforms like AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud.

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Author: STAFF HERE BOSTON WRITER

The BOSTON STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HEREBoston.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Boston, Suffolk County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as Boston Marathon, Head of the Charles Regatta, and Boston Harborfest. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and Associated Industries of Massachusetts, plus leading businesses in finance, biotech, and insurance that power the local economy such as Fidelity Investments, Biogen, and Liberty Mutual Insurance. As part of the broader HERE network, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Massachusetts's dynamic landscape.