Amazon, a leading e-commerce player, has reported that some of its cloud data centres operated by Amazon Web Services (AWS) based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain, have been damaged due to recent drone strikes in the region. As per a Reuters report, the attack was part of ongoing tension in the Middle East region, where Iran has been reportedly launching drones and missiles in retaliation for the recent military actions.
Drone strikes hit Amazon Cloud infrastructure: Services disrupted, recovery may be slow
According to AWS, two facilities in the UAE were directly hit, while a nearby drone strike in Bahrain may cause damage to the infrastructure.
The company said that the strikes have led to power outages, structural damage and even water shortage, due to fire control measures. This resulted in disruption at several cloud services, and full recovery might take longer than the expected timeline.
Impact on businesses and banks
- The outage has reportedly affected multiple businesses that rely heavily on AWS services, including financial institutions.
- Some of the banking platforms and applications are also facing downtime due to the disruption.
- To name some, Reuters stated that Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank has reported issues with its mobile app as well as with the online services during the incident, although it did not directly confirm AWS as the cause.
Rising risks for tech infrastructure
This marks one of the first times a major tech company’s data centre has been hit during a military conflict. Experts stated that in today’s digital age, critical infrastructure like data centres and internet networks could become new targets in geopolitical tensions.
Global tech companies, including Microsoft and Google, have been investing heavily in the UAE as a hub for AI and cloud computing, making the region increasingly important.
What is AWS advising its users during this crisis?
AWS is reportedly advising its customers to have a backup of the important data and shift operations to other regions where the services are still running normally and are under control.
The company has been working on restoring the services in the region and aiming to make it as quick as possible. But as per the warning, the situation seems to be unpredictable – the reason being the ongoing conflicts.
Global conflicts can impact digital services used worldwide
This recent incidence is a clear picture, showcasing how the global conflicts could impact the digital services which are being used across the world. Many Indian businesses are majorly relying on cloud platforms, adn this AWS drone attack reminded us to diversify data storage and have backup systems for your work.