Uptime.com's February 2020 Downtime Report Gives a Startling Look on the Cost of Unplanned Outages

Uptime.com's February 2020 Downtime Report Gives a Startling Look on the Cost of Unplanned Outages

From large corporations like Microsoft to Banking Systems in Nigeria, and even the US Government, no organization is immune to the consequences of unexpected downtime.

​​​Uptime.com’s February downtime report shows how even the most sophisticated and largest organizations, whether by user error or malicious intent, are subject to unexpected outages. Today, when constant, unhindered connectivity is expected, it’s even more critical for users and organizations of all sizes to do their part to minimize downtime to provide a seamless experience for customers and end-users. 

The downtime report covers significant occurrences of unexpected downtime. From enterprise systems, to Internet of Things (IoT) instances, the effects of unexpected outages have far-reaching implications, and Uptime.com uses these scenarios as teachable moments to provide helpful tips on how to avoid similar situations.

One of the most notable incidents in the report was a series of social engineering and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks waged on Nigerian banks in 2019. DDoS attacks utilize a large amount of traffic directed at a target server meant to overwhelm the system, designed so that legitimate requests are unable to be processed. Social engineering attacks make use of deception and information gathering used to manipulate individuals into unintentionally divulging critical information. Realizing the gravity of the potential consequences, Nigerian banks spent N200 billion in 2019 alone to prevent future cyberattacks in 2019.

More consumer-oriented incidents involve Google Nest and Petnet, brands that deal in smart home products. With Nest, a scheduled server update went awry, resulting in a 17-hour outage to which Google responded with $5 refunds to customers. PetNet’s internet-connected feeder went down for a week starting on Feb. 13. For pet owners, an outage for that long for such an essential piece of equipment like feeding is inexcusable. Pet owners are passionate if nothing else, and the consequences of an outage like that would most assuredly result in thousands, if not millions, in lost business.

The outages highlighted in the report are extensive and highlight the fact that there are many moving pieces internally which DevOps can easily overlook. As systems scale larger and larger, the task becomes even more complex. Testing, drills and ‘game day exercises’ become increasingly important to maintain a watchful eye to ensure the best customer experience.

For the full report, check out the Uptime.com February 2020 outage report.

About Uptime.com

Founded in 2013 & headquartered in Manhattan, Uptime.com is an industry-leading website uptime & performance solution with customers including Kraft, BNP Paribas, SAGE Publishing & Autodesk. Co-founded by seasoned B2B software entrepreneurs. For more information, visit Uptime.com.

CONTACT:
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Source: Uptime.com

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