X outages reportedly caused by massive cyberattack

Social media platform X was hit by a massive cyberattack on Monday, causing intermittent outages. According to reports, the attack began around 6 a.m. ET, with over 20,000 users experiencing issues with the site. However, the situation quickly escalated, with more than 40,000 users reporting problems just hours later.

The first outage started at 6 a.m. ET, but reports of X being down began to surface again around 9 a.m. ET. A third and most dramatic wave of outages struck just before 10 a.m. ET, with over 30,000 users reporting issues. Despite the initial resolution at 11:30 a.m. ET, users are still experiencing intermittent outages, according to data from Downdetector.

Elon Musk, X's owner, has cited the cyberattack as the cause of the outages. However, a hacking group known as Dark Storm Team has claimed responsibility for the attack via a public Telegram post. According to security firm Orange Cyberdefense, Dark Storm Team specializes in remote access, data infiltration, ransomware, and DDoS attacks.

Dark Storm Team is seen as heavily pro-Palestinian and targets state organizations that support Israel. The group has focused its attacks on key business sectors, mainly in Israel and NATO member countries. While the true target of Dark Storm Team's vitriol could be Musk himself, the presumption at this point is that X is the primary target.

"X is under relentless cyberattacks; 24/7/365 this far beyond simple DoS attempts," said Chad Cragle, CISO at cyber resilience platform Deepwatch. "These are full-scale DDoS assaults, combined with sophisticated botnet activity, credential stuffing, API abuse, and targeted application-layer attacks designed to cripple operations."

"While technical issues can occur, X's engineers understand scalability and redundancy," added Cragle. "This isn't incompetence; it's cyberwar hitting at full force. With Musk in the spotlight and political tensions at a peak, these attacks bear all the indicators of nation-state aggression. They're throwing everything but the kitchen sink at X, and others pushing for maximum disruption, downtime, and, if possible, data exposure."

The implications of the cyberattack on X

X needs to take immediate action to defend itself from future such attacks. With Musk at the helm, the site is already facing intense scrutiny and criticism. The recent outages have raised concerns about the platform's ability to handle the demands of its users.

"X has a reputation for being innovative and pushing boundaries," said Cragle. "However, in this case, it seems like they're under siege from multiple fronts. It's essential for them to take proactive measures to secure their systems and protect user data."

The threat landscape for X and other social media platforms

Dark Storm Team is just one of many hacking groups targeting social media platforms. As the landscape becomes increasingly complex, it's essential for these platforms to stay vigilant and invest in robust security measures.

"The rise of nation-state aggression has made cyberattacks more sophisticated and targeted," said Cragle. "X needs to be prepared for a full-scale assault, not just minor disruptions. It's a wake-up call for all social media platforms to reassess their cybersecurity posture."