How to use Zerodha’s WhatsApp backup when Cloudflare knocks Kite offline

Zerodha's founder and CEO, Nithin Kamath, recently addressed how traders can effectively manage their positions in the event of an outage caused by Cloudflare, a major player in global internet traffic management. Kamath emphasized the potential impact of Cloudflare's extensive network, noting that disruptions can cascade, affecting millions of websites and applications simultaneously. On Friday, a brief global slowdown impacted several brokers and fintech platforms, including Zerodha’s Kite. To prevent traders from facing challenges during such outages, Zerodha has introduced a WhatsApp-based backup system that functions independently from its primary infrastructure. Kite's web and mobile platforms rely on Cloudflare for security measures and DDoS protection. When users place orders, these requests are routed through Cloudflare before being processed by Zerodha’s systems, which are hosted on AWS. Hence, a disruption with Cloudflare can hinder access to the trading platform, despite Zerodha's internal systems remaining operational. The WhatsApp backup feature allows traders to exit their positions during instances when Kite becomes inaccessible due to external outages. This system is specifically designed for emergency situations, particularly when both the Kite web and mobile apps are unreachable during market hours. Kamath highlighted that the WhatsApp backup process is intentionally kept separate from Zerodha's main technology stack, ensuring it remains operational even in the event of Cloudflare failures. To utilize this WhatsApp backup during an outage, Zerodha advises traders to save the backup contact number in advance, allowing them to respond promptly in case of an emergency. As internet infrastructure increasingly relies on Cloudflare, a sudden disruption can have widespread consequences. By offering this alternative communication channel through WhatsApp, Zerodha aims to empower traders to manage their risks effectively, even when the primary platform is temporarily down.