On Monday, X — formerly known as Twitter — suffered a major outage, leaving thousands of users unable to access the platform. The issue began early in the day, with users encountering error messages like "Something went wrong. Try reloading." Reports of disruptions quickly piled up, with Downdetector recording a peak of 40,000 complaints. Many users voiced their frustration on other platforms like Reddit and Instagram, questioning whether X was facing technical problems or an external attack.
Elon Musk, owner of X, confirmed that the platform was targeted by a "massive cyberattack." He explained that such attacks occur daily, but this one was different — more intense and well-coordinated, potentially involving a large, organized group or even a nation. Musk stated, "There was (still is) a massive cyberattack against X. We get attacked every day, but this was done with a lot of resources. Either a large, coordinated group and/or a country is involved."
Shortly after Musk’s statement, a hacker group called "Dark Storm Team" claimed responsibility for the outage. This group, founded in 2023, has been linked to previous cyberattacks on high-profile systems and government networks. On their Telegram channel, they boasted about taking down X, sharing what they claimed was proof of their involvement, including server logs and screenshots.
Cybersecurity experts believe the attack was a Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack — a method where servers are overwhelmed with an enormous flood of traffic, causing severe slowdowns or complete shutdowns. According to Reuters, the attack came in multiple waves, making it harder for X's systems to recover. Some analysts suggest the attackers may have used a botnet — a network of hacked devices — to amplify the traffic load.
Adding to the intrigue, Musk speculated in an interview with Fox Business Network’s Larry Kudlow that the attack might have originated from IP addresses linked to Ukraine. However, cybersecurity experts quickly pointed out that IP addresses can be easily spoofed or rerouted through other countries, making it difficult to trace the true source. Some analysts even suggested that the attackers might have intentionally left traces leading to Ukraine to mislead investigators, a tactic known as a "false flag" operation. The investigation is ongoing, with global cybersecurity agencies assisting X in tracing the attackers.
This isn’t the first time X has faced disruptions. Since Musk took over, the platform has undergone extensive changes, including layoffs that affected key engineering teams responsible for platform stability and cybersecurity. Some former employees have voiced concerns that these cuts left X more vulnerable to large-scale attacks. Monday’s outage has reignited debates over whether X’s infrastructure is robust enough to handle increasing threats, especially as cyberattacks become more sophisticated.
The Dark Storm Team’s motivations remain unclear. Some experts believe the group might be driven by political agendas, aiming to disrupt Western social media platforms. Others think the attack could be a publicity stunt, designed to showcase the group’s capabilities and attract new recruits. In the cybersecurity world, high-profile attacks often serve as a "calling card" for hacker groups seeking recognition or to intimidate rivals.
For now, X appears to be back online, though some users still report occasional glitches. Musk reassured users that the platform’s engineers are working to strengthen defenses and prevent future attacks. He hinted at a possible overhaul of X's backend infrastructure, mentioning that the company is considering more advanced AI-based cybersecurity systems to detect and mitigate DDoS attacks faster.
As the investigation unfolds, many questions remain. Was this attack purely criminal, or was a state actor involved? Will X’s security measures hold up against the next inevitable cyberattack? And what will this mean for the platform’s reputation, already under pressure from advertisers and regulators? One thing is clear — the battle for digital security is far from over, and X is now on the front lines.
