Wikileaks dumps Amazon data center locations for all to see

[Greg S]

What just happened? Locations of Amazon's hidden data centers have been put on full display by Wikileaks. Being the only cloud provider authorized to store classified government data, Amazon has been very careful of not disclosing where or how exactly it runs its operations.

As the largest provider of cloud services, Amazon currently operates around 34 percent of the world's cloud infrastructure. Oddly enough though, you will not see too many data centers with Amazon branding on them. Playing host to both classified and unclassified government data, Amazon discloses as little as possible about where their hardware is and how it all integrates.

Until now, only a small number of data centers have been confirmed to have ties to Amazon Web Services. Wikileaks has decided to publish the addresses and select operating details for over one hundred data centers. A documented entitled Amazon Atlas dates back to 2015 showing locations that span fifteen cities across nine countries.

Instead of running data centers under its own branding, shell companies have been created that run the show. Companies such as VaData, Inc. and Vandalay Industries are names that might be seen despite being fully controlled by Amazon.

Discovery of Amazon's physical locations have previously occurred due to natural disasters causing service outages or the rare case that someone can find a government record containing an address and put the pieces together.

Inside of the leaked Amazon Atlas document, contact names, phone numbers, and email addresses are listed for many locations. Special notes are also made about each data center listed. Some facilities require special approval to accept deliveries while others have instructions to seek permission from higher ups before purchasing new hardware for tax planning purposes. Certain sites are listed as being completely unmanned locations.

Links pointing to more internal documents are also contained, but the URLs are inaccessible by the general public and may have since been relocated.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/76900-wikileaks-dumps-amazon-data-center-locations-all-see.html

 

[ShObiT]

Oh Oh, the New Wikileaks CEO will be joining Assange, maybe this one will be living in a Russian Embassy?.

 

[Leonardo55]

Vandalay Industries? Someone's been watching too many Seinfeld reruns.

 

[Jeff Re]

Is there anything good that can come out of releasing this information?

 

[stewi0001]

Is there anything good that can come out of releasing this information?

Maybe people go back to hosting their own datacenters which would increase jobs?

 

[Mithan]

Is there anything good that can come out of releasing this information?

One day when the government decides to go all Nazi on our asses, this might be useful for the rebellion.

 

[toooooot]

Where are the addresses? Where? I wanted to work for amazon cloud for a long time. Having the address, I would just come there and make them hire me!

 

[fktech]

Where are the addresses? Where? I wanted to work for amazon cloud for a long time. Having the address, I would just come there and make them hire me!

You want to work in the cloud? LOL.

 

[toooooot]

You want to work in the cloud? LOL.

I wanna *rest* in the cloud, when I die and go to heaven

 

[fktech]

I wanna *rest* in the cloud, when I die and go to heaven

Is the cloud then heaven itself?

 

[lanmansa]

This isn't really anything special. Physical access to any of these top tier enterprise data centers is still heavily restricted. Ever try to actually get into a hosting facility? Usually guarded 24/7, with cameras every few meters, and usually gated entry. That's just to get into the parking lot. We already have a rough idea of the addresses based on the site selections you could make when creating a cloud instance and what IP they are coming from. Amazon isn't the only cloud provider for the govt either. Microsoft has a dedicated "federal" azure cloud specifically for those agencies.