When Half the Internet Goes Down: Why Multi-Cloud Storage Matters More Than Ever

7 min read

On October 20, 2025, millions of users worldwide woke up to find their favorite apps and services completely unavailable.

Snapchat, Fortnite, Roblox, Zoom, Venmo, Disney+, Reddit, and countless other platforms were down. Not because of individual failures, but because of a single point of failure: Amazon Web Services (AWS).

The Scale of the Disruption

The AWS US-EAST-1 region experienced a DNS resolution failure affecting DynamoDB API endpoints. Despite the data itself being intact, services couldn't access it - bringing down a significant portion of the internet for hours.

Table of Contents

What Happened: The AWS Outage Explained

The October 2025 AWS outage wasn't caused by a cyberattack or infrastructure failure. It was a DNS resolution problem - essentially, services couldn't find the address to access their data.

The Timeline

  • Early morning ET: Users began reporting widespread service disruptions
  • 5:20 AM ET: AWS began applying mitigations
  • Several hours later: Full restoration completed, but damage was done

Who Was Affected?

The list of affected services reads like a who's who of the internet:

  • Gaming platforms: Fortnite, Roblox, PlayStation Network, Steam
  • Communication tools: Zoom, Snapchat, Discord
  • Financial services: Venmo, various banking apps
  • Entertainment: Disney+, streaming services
  • Telecommunications: AT&T and T-Mobile services
  • IoT devices: Ring doorbells, smart home systems
The Real Problem

These weren't small startups - they were billion-dollar companies with sophisticated infrastructure teams. Yet they were all brought down by a single provider's issue.

The Hidden Risk of Single-Provider Dependency

The AWS outage exposed a fundamental vulnerability in how we build and consume digital services today.

Why Do So Many Companies Rely on AWS?

It's not hard to understand the appeal:

  • Convenience: Everything you need in one ecosystem
  • Integration: Services work seamlessly together
  • Cost efficiency: Volume discounts and bundled pricing
  • Expertise: Deep technical knowledge in one platform

But convenience comes with a price: vulnerability.

The Single Point of Failure Problem

When you put all your infrastructure with one provider, you're essentially saying:

"I trust this company's uptime more than I trust my own ability to manage redundancy."

For many businesses, that trust was misplaced on October 20, 2025.

This Isn't New

AWS has experienced significant outages before. In December 2021, a major outage affected the US-EAST-1 region. In November 2020, another outage disrupted services. The pattern is clear: no provider is immune to failures.

It's Not Just About Outages

While outages make headlines, they're just one reason to avoid single-provider dependency.

Other Risks of Single-Provider Storage

1. Account Suspension or Termination

Cloud providers can suspend or terminate accounts for various reasons:

  • Terms of service violations (sometimes incorrectly flagged)
  • Payment disputes or billing issues
  • Security concerns or suspected compromise
  • Legal or regulatory requirements

When your account is suspended, you lose access to ALL your data instantly.

2. Pricing Changes and Lock-In

  • Unexpected price increases when you're deeply integrated
  • Removal of free tiers or feature limitations
  • Costly egress fees make it expensive to leave
  • Proprietary formats create technical barriers to migration

3. Regional and Regulatory Issues

  • Data sovereignty requirements may conflict with provider's infrastructure
  • Government access requests vary by provider and jurisdiction
  • Compliance requirements may necessitate specific storage locations
  • Geopolitical tensions can affect service availability

The Multi-Cloud Solution

The answer isn't to avoid cloud storage - it's to diversify your cloud strategy.

What Is Multi-Cloud Storage?

Multi-cloud storage means distributing your data across multiple cloud providers:

  • Google Drive for collaborative documents
  • OneDrive for Microsoft ecosystem integration
  • AWS S3 for application data and backups
  • Backblaze B2 for cost-effective archival storage
  • Dropbox for file sharing and syncing
The Benefits of Multi-Cloud
  • Resilience: One provider's outage doesn't take down all your services
  • Flexibility: Choose the best provider for each use case
  • Cost optimization: Leverage competitive pricing and free tiers
  • Negotiating power: Avoid vendor lock-in and maintain leverage
  • Compliance: Meet diverse regulatory requirements

The Challenge: Multi-Cloud Complexity

The problem with multi-cloud storage is obvious: it's complicated.

Managing files across multiple providers means:

  • Multiple interfaces to learn and navigate
  • Scattered files that are hard to find
  • No unified search across all your storage
  • Duplicate files wasting space and money
  • Security concerns managing multiple accounts

This is where FileFortress comes in.

How FileFortress Enables Multi-Cloud Resilience

FileFortress was built specifically to solve the multi-cloud management problem. We believe you shouldn't have to choose between convenience and resilience.

Unified Multi-Cloud Management

Connect all your cloud storage providers to FileFortress:

  • Single interface to manage all your cloud storage accounts
  • Unified search across Google Drive, OneDrive, S3, Backblaze, and more
  • Cross-cloud operations without switching between apps
  • Powerful CLI tools for automation and scripting

Privacy-First Architecture

Unlike other multi-cloud tools, FileFortress prioritizes your privacy:

  • Local encryption of all file metadata on your device
  • Zero file storage on FileFortress servers
  • You control the keys - we can't access your data
  • Zero-knowledge architecture by design

Getting Started with Multi-Cloud Storage

Ready to build resilience into your cloud storage strategy? Here's how to get started:

Step 1: Assess Your Current Situation

  • Audit your cloud storage - list all providers and what's stored where
  • Identify critical data that needs redundancy
  • Calculate current costs and identify optimization opportunities
  • Document dependencies on specific providers

Step 2: Set Up FileFortress

Pro Tip: Start Small

You don't need to migrate everything at once. Start by adding a second cloud provider for your most critical files. Once you're comfortable with the workflow, gradually expand your multi-cloud strategy.

Conclusion: Don't Put All Your Eggs in One Basket

The October 2025 AWS outage was a wake-up call for the entire tech industry. It demonstrated that no provider is too big to fail, and that single-provider dependency is a risk we can no longer afford to ignore.

The Key Takeaways

  • Outages are inevitable - even from the most reliable providers
  • Single points of failure create unacceptable business risk
  • Multi-cloud strategies provide resilience and flexibility
  • Complexity is manageable with the right tools
  • Privacy and security shouldn't be sacrificed for convenience
The Question Isn't "If" But "When"

The next major cloud outage isn't a matter of if, but when. Will you be ready? Will your data be accessible? Will your business continue operating?

With a multi-cloud strategy and tools like FileFortress, the answer can be a confident "yes."

Learn More

Interested in building a robust multi-cloud storage strategy? Check out these resources:

Ready to Build Multi-Cloud Resilience?

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