Capital One is an Amazon Web Services client, but the bank says it had few problems on Tuesday when thousands of other users of the cloud computing services experienced major disruptions to their websites and apps.
Amazon Web Services reported Tuesday high error rates with its service that companies use to manage web applications, house data and host software. Essentially, thousands of sites and apps rely on AWS and were not working or were rather slow that day.
But Capital One, which has fashioned itself as a bit of an evangelist for banks to embrace cloud computing, said its method of spreading its use of AWS across various regions was the key to its continuity.
The consent order between the Federal Reserve and Capital One required the bank to submit progress reports on its efforts to improve its risk management functions.
Michael Nagle/Bloomberg
“We experienced minor impacts that were quickly resolved due to resiliency we have in place across AWS regions,” a spokeswoman said in an email.
The AWS outage is a good reminder to banks that although cloud computing has considerable draws — better security and performance, for instance — it has the same disadvantage that so many bank systems have: the vulnerability of a relying on provider, said David Albertazzi, an analyst at Aite Group.
“Today’s event could potentially shake some financial institutions’ confidence in the public cloud as they’re contemplating what to put out there,” Albertazzi said in a statement. “They need to be selective in choosing which solutions they put on the public cloud versus private cloud. They also need to match requirements and inherent risks with the characteristics of each service and deployment models.”
Acting CFPB Director Russ Vought has managed to neuter the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau through a series of actions. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott, R-S.C., played a major role by cutting funding in half.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said there was a "high degree of unity" among committee members during this week's Federal Open Market Committee vote. Out of 12 FOMC members, 11 voted for a 25 basis point cut.
The Federal Open Market Committee's decision to reduce interest rates for the first time in nine months lifted bank stocks Wednesday. The 25-basis-point reduction could lead to net interest income headwinds now, but loan growth later, analysts said.
Community Financial in Syracuse has made its biggest investment ever in an outside company, taking a $37.4 million equity stake in an insurance provider that focuses on the rental housing market.
The two BNPL giants' pay-over-time loans will now be available for in-store purchases on Apple Pay in a move to capture more sales at brick and mortar stores.