When Amazon Web Services (AWS) experienced a significant outage in October 2025, the event was more than a mere inconvenience - it was a wake-up call. The disruption affected thousands of applications, websites, and even Amazon’s own retail and logistics operations. Major platforms such as Snapchat, Canva, Roblox, and Duolingo were rendered inaccessible. Even the tax portal for the UK government went offline.
Many organizations continue to operate under the illusion that cloud providers are infallible. Amazon asserts perpetual uptime and promises seamless failover, yet the outage demonstrated the vulnerability of even the most robust infrastructures. Reliance on such assurances is not merely trust, but rather the surrendering of control. When AWS falters, so too does every business built upon its foundation.
This incident was neither unprecedented nor isolated. For leaders across industries, it reignited a critical question: How much control has been relinquished, and what preparations exist for the inevitable failure of a cloud provider?
Amazon’s reputation for failover capabilities and high availability architecture is well established. However, the recent outage exposed the fragility inherent in cloud systems. Despite multi-AZ deployments and adherence to best practices, entire regions were incapacitated.
These failures are not isolated deviations; they are indicative of the complex interdependencies that anchor modern cloud infrastructure. When a foundational service falters, the cascading effects can render even the most resilient architectures vulnerable. Redundancy at the application level cannot compensate for weaknesses in the underlying fabric of the cloud. As organizations increasingly rely on these shared services, the risk of widespread disruption grows - not because individual systems are poorly designed, but because the ecosystem itself is susceptible to single points of failure. Recognizing and addressing these systemic risks is essential for any enterprise seeking true operational resilience.
Service Level Agreements (SLAs), redundancy, and compliance certifications may offer comfort, but the reality remains: risk cannot be outsourced. When AWS fails, customers do not seek answers from Amazon – they turn to you. Reputation, contractual obligations, and revenue are at stake. Regulatory bodies and stakeholders will demand accountability, regardless of where the technical fault originated.
TechRepublic, an online news resource within the IT industry, notes that the AWS outage exposed a systemic weakness: excessive dependence on a single provider. Even large-scale applications with vast user bases lacked contingency plans, resulting in prolonged downtime and an inability to restore services.
This raises a critical question: What degree of control is retained, and how much has been surrendered?
Netflix, for example, has adopted “chaos engineering” – intentionally disrupting their own systems to test resilience. While most organizations cannot afford such measures, alternatives exist.
At Cayuse, we believe that informed decision-making stems from comprehensive education. Structured scenario-based simulations done through tabletop exercises provide executives and teams with the opportunity to navigate real-world disruptions. These are not generic drills. They are tailored to specific environments, risk tolerances, and operational realities.
Demand for tabletop exercises has surged, driven by compliance mandates, board directives, and cyber insurance requirements. These simulations are both cost-effective and revealing, exposing gaps in response plans, clarifying roles, and enhancing coordination across departments.
We have seen firsthand that tabletop testing transforms theory into action. Recent engagements with credit unions have demonstrated that simulated cloud outages are not merely technical drills - they are strategic imperatives.
In a tabletop test, a facilitator presents a realistic scenario, such as a vendor outage like AWS. Other scenarios may include:
Participants systematically address:
These exercises guide leadership through:
Executives frequently discover that preparation is lacking. Technical teams may find visibility and escalation protocols insufficient. Ultimately, all participants gain a clearer understanding of the stakes involved.
Cloud service disruptions are increasing in frequency and severity. In the first half of 2025, DevOps platforms suffered over 330 incidents. GitHub reported a 58% increase in outages year-over-year. Azure DevOps endured a performance degradation that lasted 159 hours.
A recent study highlighted by Dark Reading revealed that abandoned AWS S3 buckets, previously used by Fortune 500 enterprises and government agencies, continued to receive millions of file requests. Researchers paid a small fee to re-register these buckets, which could have allowed them to spread malware or backdoors.
These events are not mere technical anomalies: they represent significant business risks. In an environment where cloud-based tools underpin critical operations, a single failure can halt pipelines, delay releases, and erode customer trust. Outages are much more than just technical hiccups.
Dependence on a cloud provider without adequate preparation renders an organization powerless. Accountability and reputation cannot be delegated. Waiting until the next outage to devise a response is a perilous strategy.
Tabletop exercises are not a composition of checkboxes; they are essential conversations. They facilitate discussions on risk tolerance, educate leadership, and enable informed decision-making before disaster strikes.
The AWS outage reminded us of a fundamental truth: resilience is not a promise – it is a product of preparation. Through tabletop exercises, architectural redesign, and strategic partnerships, organizations must reclaim authority over their risk posture.
Better education leads to better decisions, and better decisions lead to better outcomes - especially when the cloud goes dark.
Cayuse has developed tabletop scenarios for government contractors, commercial enterprises, financial institutions, and beyond. Our exercises are designed to:
Cayuse’s approach extends beyond the exercise itself, fostering learning and continuous improvement.
Control over AWS is unattainable. Control over preparation, response, and recovery, however, remains within reach. The next outage is inevitable. The question is not if, but when.
Will your organization be prepared?
Let Cayuse guide you through the critical conversation – before it is too late.