Image Credit: SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images On October 20, 2025, the internet suffered a massive jolt when Amazon Web Services (AWS) reported a wide-ranging outage that knocked thousands of websites and popular apps offline. More than 4 million users reported issues through outage tracker Downdetector, and Rafe Pilling, director of threat intelligence at cybersecurity firm Sophos, warned that "AWS has a far-reaching and intricate footprint, so any issue can cause a major upset.