China Disrupts Internet Access for Over an Hour: Implications for IT Infrastructure
On August 20, 2025, China temporarily severed its connection to the global internet for more than an hour, predominantly affecting HTTPS traffic. The activist group Great Firewall Report noted that this interruption occurred due to the Great Firewall’s unintentional injection of forged TCP packets, disrupting all connections on TCP port 443.
Key Details
- Who: Great Firewall Report, a monitoring group.
- What: An unusual outage affecting HTTPS traffic (TCP port 443).
- When: Between 00:34 to 01:48 Beijing Time (UTC+8).
- Where: China.
- Why: No specific reason was identified, suggesting a potential test or a configuration error in the Great Firewall’s operations.
- How: The disturbance involved the injection of forged TCP RST+ACK packets, limiting access to most websites hosted outside of China.
Why It Matters
This incident raises several critical concerns for IT professionals:
- Global Internet Access: The disruption hindered access to essential services and sites for Chinese netizens, including those used by businesses like Apple and Tesla.
- Security Risks: Port 443 is fundamental for secure communication; any blockage raises concerns about potential vulnerabilities in enterprise security and compliance.
- Operational Disruptions: Companies heavily reliant on external servers for services may face operational risks during such outages, impacting cloud-based platforms.
Takeaway
IT managers and enterprise architects should closely monitor internet regulations in China, particularly trends in the Great Firewall’s behavior. Understanding these disruptions can help devise strategies for maintaining service continuity and compliance in global operations.
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