Major Internet Outage Prompts Cybersecurity Advisory
A cybersecurity specialist has sounded an alarm, urging the public to “remain vigilant” in the wake of a significant global internet disruption that has made headlines this morning.
Many individuals awakened today, October 20, to considerable interruptions affecting a myriad of their frequently utilized applications and services.
Notable platforms such as Amazon Web Services, Snapchat, Canva, and Duolingo have reported outages. Additionally, several others including Roblox, Clash Royale, Life360, MyFitnessPal, Xero, Amazon Music, Prime Video, Clash of Clans, Fortnite, Wordle, Coinbase, HMRC, Vodafone, PlayStation, and Pokémon Go have also been affected.
While these applications and companies lack an apparent commonality, the disruptions appear to be connected to Amazon Web Services.
Engineers were promptly activated and are diligently working to both mitigate the issue and ascertain its fundamental cause.
Charlotte Wilson, Head of Enterprise at cybersecurity firm CheckPoint, has since issued a pertinent warning following the outage.
In an interview with Sky News, she remarked, “A local fault can ripple worldwide within mere minutes. We have constructed convenience on interconnected systems, yet resilience remains contingent upon both personnel and processes.”
Wilson further elaborated on the importance of maintaining backups for critical files and information, reiterating the necessity for individuals to “stay vigilant.”
She continued, advising caution against scams or phishing attempts, particularly during times when banking websites are compromised. “Never click on links or share details from unrecognized sources,” she emphasized.
Furthermore, the cybersecurity authority shared valuable guidance for businesses navigating this period of uncertainty.
“Test your failover systems, train your personnel, and prepare for potential downtime before it manifests,” Wilson urged.
She added, “When companies rush to restore access, both systems and staff become overextended—this is precisely when attackers target.”
“Anticipate a surge in fraudulent ‘refund’ or ‘discount’ offers, phishing emails, and deceptive links purporting to rectify the problem. Although the internet may be global, resilience is initiated locally—through our individual actions,” she concluded.
Amazon Web Services has reported “recovery across most of the compromised AWS Services,” attributing the issues to its data center located in Northern Virginia.
In a statement, the company affirmed, “We continue to strive towards full resolution and will provide updates as more information becomes available.”
In addition to impacting applications like Snapchat and Duolingo, reports from U.S. media indicate that the outage is affecting airline operations.
The New York Times highlights that long check-in lines have been observed at LaGuardia Airport, as several reservations were failing to appear on booking systems.
Source link: Unilad.com.
