Apparent Cyberattack Impacts Social Media Platform X

The social media platform X experienced multiple outages, which Elon Musk, the platform's owner, attributed to a "massive cyberattack."

The disruptions began early in the morning Monday, with users reporting issues accessing the app and website starting around 5:30 a.m. ET. According to Downdetector, a service that tracks online outages, reports peaked at over 40,000 at one point, with the platform going down at least three times throughout the day. The outages affected users globally, though the scale varied, and by late afternoon, the number of reports had dropped to around 2,000, indicating some stabilization.

Musk first commented on the situation on X at 1:25 p.m. ET, stating, "There was (still is) a massive cyberattack against 𝕏," and noted that while X faces attacks daily, this one stood out due to the significant resources involved. He suggested it could be the work of "a large, coordinated group and/or a country," and efforts were underway to trace its origin. Later, in an interview on Fox Business with Larry Kudlow, Musk elaborated, claiming the attack originated from IP addresses in the "Ukraine area," though he admitted uncertainty about the exact details, saying, "We’re not sure exactly what happened."

Additional context emerged from various sources. A hacking group called Dark Storm Team, known for pro-Palestinian cyber operations and formed in 2023, claimed responsibility via a now-deleted Telegram post, according to some reports. However, Musk’s focus remained on the Ukraine link, and no definitive evidence has been publicly released to confirm the attackers’ identity or motives. Speculation on X and in news outlets suggested the attack might involve advanced tactics like DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) floods—overwhelming servers with traffic—or phishing, though no technical breakdown has been officially confirmed by X.

The outages sparked broader discussions about X’s cybersecurity resilience, especially given Musk’s significant staff cuts since acquiring the platform in 2022, reducing its workforce by about 80%. Some experts and users questioned whether the issue stemmed from internal vulnerabilities rather than solely an external attack.

By the end of March 10, X appeared to be recovering, with Musk and some users, including TechRadar staff, reporting restored functionality. However, the lack of detailed updates from X’s official channels left many questions unanswered about the attack’s nature, scope, and resolution.