“No amount of redundancy matters” — AWS deletes 10 years of an engineer’s data, and there could be a conspiracy afoot

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Using cloud storage offers many advantages, yet it’s essential to be aware of potential dangers. Recently, an individual identifying as a software engineer and an ardent supporter of open-source projects, has reported losing decade-old data that he had stored in the Amazon Web Services (AWS) platform.

On the technology blog Seuros, a software engineer explains an unfortunate incident inside AWS MENA (Amazon Web Services Middle East and North Africa), which resulted in a frustrating 20-day period with no effective solution provided.

In his blog post (published through Tom’s Hardware), Abdelkader Boudih, also known as Seuros, explains the origins of the issue at hand. As Boudih describes it, an Amazon Web Services (AWS) deletion inadvertently removed a wealth of developer tools that had been stored in the cloud, serving as an escape from the disarray of their desktops.

The following were wiped out: Circuit breaker design patterns tailored to Ruby, time-based state machine models for Rails applications, performance monitoring resources, an entire book on programming concepts expressed in a unique style, electronics study guides, tutorials for Ruby development, and a significant amount of work (spanning years) that could have benefited many others.

According to Boudih, this AWS deletion not only affected the user but also developers who rely on these tools.

As a researcher, I was profoundly affected when Amazon Web Services (AWS) terminated my account. It wasn’t merely a personal inconvenience; it impacted every developer who utilized my gems. Each student who could have gained valuable insights from the tutorials I created. Every potential future contribution that won’t materialize due to the disruption of my workflow. My work, in essence, was not just mine-it was a collective asset for the developer community, and its loss is felt by every individual it touched.

Abdelkader Boudih (aka Seuros)

Boudih argues that the data loss wasn’t typical, asserting that the preventive measures suggested by AWS, such as tools and guidelines, should have prevented this incident. He mentions implementing multi-region replication, a recovery mechanism similar to a ‘dead man’s switch’, backup architectures following AWS’ recommendations, and utilizing separate encryption keys for added security.

In his planning, Boudih hadn’t anticipated AWS turning into a catastrophic event. However, like any catastrophe, efforts were made to restore what was damaged, resulting in what Boudih referred to as a “twenty-day ordeal of technical support.

The story starts with an initial verification request from AWS that expired before Boudih had a chance to respond. The subsequent form demanded ID and a utility bill copy, which Boudih promptly submitted. AWS contested the document’s legibility, and the following day, Boudih’s account was terminated.

Boudih didn’t stop at that point; he wanted to know if the information was still available somewhere else. Support’s second-to-last message stated, “Since verification of the account wasn’t done by this date, all resources associated with the account were discontinued.” The last message from AWS invited feedback about the overall experience.

Even though Boudih followed every instruction provided by the AWS support team diligently, they encountered no straightforward responses and were asked repeatedly to provide five-star reviews, all the while their critical data was at risk.

It’s clear that Boudih is justified in feeling upset because Amazon Web Services (AWS) documentation indicates a 90-day period after account closure during which data isn’t deleted. However, since Boudih didn’t use the service for more than 20 days, it appears that AWS might be partially responsible for this situation.

AWS attributed the account’s termination to a problem with a third-party payer, but Boudih presents reasons why this explanation doesn’t quite add up. It’s plausible that billing could have been transferred to another card on file or, at the minimum, there should have been a service suspension instead of a complete deletion of the account.

AWS responds to Boudih’s claims, and an ‘AWS insider’ suggests a conspiracy

It’s not desirable for Amazon Web Services (AWS) to learn that their cloud storage service is erasing user data. Upon initial reporting by Tom’s Hardware, an AWS representative contacted us to provide the following statement:

[The statement provided here would depend on the specific situation and response from AWS.]

In every case, we aim to collaborate with our clients to address account problems and give them early notice about the possibility of account suspension. The account was suspended as per AWS’s standard security procedures for accounts that do not meet the necessary verification criteria, and it is inaccurate to assert this was due to a system glitch or mistake.

AWS spokesperson

It seems clear that this action appears as a direct reaction to Boudih’s assertions about someone within AWS allegedly contacting them following the public dissemination of the Seuros blog post.

An internal source hinted that AWS MENA (Middle East and North Africa region of Amazon Web Services) was experimenting with inactive or seldom-used accounts, not limited to just Boudih’s account.

From this point forward, things become more complex, but in essence, it seems there was a mistake made by an Amazon Web Services (AWS) developer who entered the wrong command, resulting in the unintended deletion of active accounts, such as Boudih’s.

Although there’s no concrete evidence supporting these claims, Boudih suggests that the gradual lack of advancement and inadequate responses from assistance might hint at a possible concealment of something.

Another sober reminder that cloud storage is not as safe as you think it is

It appears that recently, we are hearing about a higher number of significant data loss incidents than typical. For instance, in June, a OneDrive user found themselves unable to access approximately three decades’ worth of personal photos and work documents, with no assistance provided by Microsoft customer service.

Lately, a programmer who works on LibreOffice, an open-source alternative to Microsoft Office, had their Microsoft account locked following a discussion about bugs and fixes in an email. Although they were able to regain access, it’s unlikely they’ll continue using the platform for much longer.

It’s important to be mindful when relying on cloud storage solutions, as they offer many benefits but also carry certain risks. In today’s technology-focused 2025, a traditional USB drive or external solid-state drive remains a reliable option for backup purposes, serving as an additional safety measure.

Towards the end of this blog post, Boudih shares an exciting update: they are creating a complimentary tool aimed at assisting users in extracting their data from AWS. Notably, clients with monthly AWS bills totaling over $400k have expressed their intention to transition to Oracle OCI, Azure, and Google Cloud.

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2025-08-05 17:42