A problem with Amazon Web Services (AWS) led to global outages across several websites and apps. However, following the correction of the issues, UK banks’ online services are gradually recovering.
The outage, which followed issues with AWS, resulted in over 4 million reports from users involving over 500 firms, including Duolingo and Wordle. Among those affected were UK top banks such as Lloyds Bank, Bank of Scotland, and Halifax.
These three banks, which are subsidiaries of the Lloyds Banking Group, have reported that services are now coming back online.
AWS Says There May Still Be Issues As Services Return Online
Amazon Web Services said there may still be some issues as services return online. The platform is working continuously to ensure full recovery and is addressing elevated polling delays for Lambda.
Some users may decide to move to other cloud providers if the constant failure continues. Several users registered their complaints during and after the outage. Some observers have blamed the error on the Domain Name System (DNS), which functions as the Internet’s phonebook.
Marek Szustak, IT security officer at eSky Group, an online travel agency, said all services and applications can stop responding when domain name resolutions have issues.
He added that such errors are a good lesson for users of the services, even if they are properly designed. Szustak said it’s important to design a system that will not lead to a halt of an entire business when there is a failure in one provider or region.
The Outage Could Lead To Disputes Between Payment Companies And Users
The system outage may also lead to several disputes between payment companies and end users over incomplete transactions. Monica Eaton, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the payments fintech firm Chargebacks911, also explained that users can become frustrated by outages.
“When AWS sneezes, half the internet catches the flu,” she said. Eaton noted that while such outages cause frustration among users, they generate a domino effect across the payment sector. If the outage persists, the disputes will continue, and many businesses should not treat it as a one-day event, she advised.
Reflecting the impact, outage monitor Downdetector stated that user reports of issues increased to over 11 million during Monday’s outage. This has led experts to warn against overdependence on a single provider.
Prof Alan Woodward of the University of Surrey has also criticized why many companies are depending only on a single major provider. With many companies depending on third parties for their services, a single outage could lead to catastrophic downtimes.
While AWS is fixing the issue and many services are coming back online, the situation demonstrates how infrastructures are interdependent. As a result, many firms may now reconsider their reliance on AWS.
Frequently Asked Questions
What caused the outage that affected banks in the UK?
The outage was caused by an issue with Amazon Web Services.
Which banks in the UK were affected?
Bank of Scotland, Halifax, and Lloyds banks were all affected by the outage.
Are the affected services still down?
No, the banking services are coming back online, although some services may still experience issues.