Amazon identifies the issue that broke much of the internet, but is still working to restore services

Amazon Web Services (AWS) experienced a significant outage that disrupted large portions of the internet, affecting websites, banks, government services, and major apps such as Coinbase, Fortnite, Signal, and Zoom. The root cause was identified as a DNS resolution problem related to the DynamoDB API endpoints in the N. Virginia (us-east-1) region. DNS (Domain Name System) is crucial for translating web addresses into IP addresses, enabling websites and apps to load properly. Although AWS reported that the underlying DNS issue was fully mitigated by early Tuesday morning (2:24 AM PDT), the company was still working to fully restore all services. The outage, which began around 3 a.m. on the U.S. East Coast, also impacted Amazon’s own platforms, including Amazon.com, its subsidiaries, AWS customer support, and Ring video surveillance products. This incident highlights the critical role AWS plays in hosting websites, apps, and online systems for millions of companies worldwide, given its substantial share of the