Your cloud survived everything except the real world

You may not realize the importance of your data until it is lost. A recent incident at Amazon Web Services (AWS) sheds light on the challenges of cloud data retention. The company reported that war damage to its Bahrain data center resulted in the permanent destruction of resources and data. The damage surpassed the region's resilience, leaving certain customers without access to their data. This situation raises questions about the assumption that cloud redundancy guarantees safety.

AWS is not alone in experiencing issues in the Middle East. The US Navy has also faced significant disruptions to its local maintenance and supply network, which has drastically affected its operations. The event serves as a reminder that resilience within one cloud region does not equate to maintaining an independent backup elsewhere.

Physical destruction is just one threat; however, other risks such as major outages, incompatible flight plans, and the sheer volume of data to back up can also lead to significant consequences.

The development of AI infrastructure has exacerbated the issue of data backups, as these datacenters consume a significant portion of available storage capacity. Western Digital, a leading hard-drive manufacturer, has allocated its entire 2026 hard-drive production run by mid-February, highlighting the high demand for storage solutions.

While the 3-2-1 backup rule is often cited as a safeguard for data, its implementation can be challenging. Companies must provision these backups, which adds complexity and cost to their operations. As infrastructure faces increasing threats from various sources, such as natural disasters, cyberattacks, and human error, planning for data resilience becomes more critical.

The article argues that the issue of data resilience extends beyond physical threats and highlights the importance of establishing a sound data resilience strategy. Modern IT relies heavily on data resilience, and sharing some of the risk with an external provider through data duplication across clouds is becoming increasingly necessary.

However, the article suggests that the lack of a global market for data equivalent to war-risk insurance means that enterprises must take matters into their own hands. Companies should carefully assess and mitigate risks to their data, determine the appropriate level of backups, and plan for scenarios where primary data stores may disappear.

Failure to do so may result in catastrophic losses, as the recent incidents at AWS and US Navy illustrate.