On March 10, 2025, Elon Musk announced on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) the platform was undergoing what he termed a "massive cyberattack". This incident followed reports from thousands of users facing access issues, marking yet another chapter of technical troubles for the social network since Musk's acquisition.
Musk's statement came after many users reported problems accessing the platform throughout the day. The peak of these outages coincided with reports received by Downdetector.com, with nearly 40,000 users experiencing issues by 10 AM ET, which is 3 PM Paris time. While this number saw some fluctuations during the day, it clearly indicated significant disruptions within X.
"There has been (and there is still) a massive cyberattack against X," Musk stated, directly addressing the apparent service disruptions. He suggested this cyberattack was orchestrated with substantial resources, possibly by a coordinated group or even state-level actors. "We are attacked every day, but this one was organized with many resources. A major coordinated group is involved, or perhaps even a nation-state. We are tracking the lead..." he elaborated.
The response from cybersecurity experts has been mixed. Casey Ellis, founder of the cybersecurity company Bugcrowd, commented, "Difficult to determine with incomplete details, especially at this early stage of the situation." Meanwhile, the hacker collective known as Dark Storm Team claimed responsibility for the attack via Telegram, stirring discussions on the potential implication of these events.
Dark Storm Team, as indicated by analysts from Orange Cyberdefense, emerged toward the end of 2023 and is known for targeting organizations aligned with pro-Israel interests, promoting the Palestinian cause instead. This connection has raised eyebrows, leading to questions about the political undertones surrounding this cyberattack against X.
Throughout 2023, X has faced numerous outages, with significant disruptions reported back in February and December, wherein tens of thousands of users had experienced similar access problems. Even high-profile interactions on the network have been beleaguered by technical difficulties, including Donald Trump's interview on the platform back in August 2024, which was disrupted considerably. All these incidents paint a troubling picture of X’s technical robustness since Musk's takeover.
Referring to Musk's management style, after acquiring Twitter he laid off approximately three-quarters of the workforce, aiming for radical changes within the company, which analysts now suggest could affect its operational security. Amidst these changes, he also heads the government efficiency commission, Doge, pushing significant reforms against what he claims to be wasteful government practices.
Chad Cragle, Director of Information Security at Deepwatch, highlighted the broader ramifications, calling it potentially indicative of "cyberwarfare". Cragle stated, "X is under constant cyberattacks, at all hours and every day. With Musk currently under scrutiny and the high political tensions at play, these attacks show all the indicators of state-sponsored aggression. They are doing everything they can to disrupt service and potentially expose personal data." This insight signifies the fears of more extensive geopolitical consequences stemming from such cyber conflicts.
The cybersecurity community continues to evaluate the claims surrounding this latest abrupt crisis, distinguishing between technological failures and malicious cyber activity. Determining the true causes of these outages calls for independent verification amid the political noise surrounding X's situation.
Despite the uncertainties surrounding the claims and the specifics of the attack, it's clear Musk's assertion of it being state-level aligns with his historical patterns of linking his company's issues with broader socio-political narratives.
Moving forward, it will be interesting to observe how X navigates these challenges, particularly from the perspective of user trust and its operational continuity. Given the high-profile nature of the incidents and the failures reported, consistent scrutiny will likely follow as both users and stakeholders await clarity from Musk and his leadership team.