X, formerly known as Twitter, suffered extensive outages on March 10, 2025, as the cyber hacking group known as Dark Storm Team claimed responsibility for what has been labeled as a massive Distributed Denial of Service (DDOS) attack. The sequence of technical disruptions commenced at approximately 5:30 AM Eastern Time (ET) and continued to escalate throughout the day, conducting significant interruptions across the platform.
The issues became apparent early Monday morning when users began to report difficulties accessing the service on both mobile and desktop platforms. The first signs of trouble materialized as outage reports surged, with Downdetector documenting over 40,000 incidents at the height of the disruptions, particularly impacting users along the East and West coasts of the United States.
Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X, provided public updates following the incidents, stating, "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. Tracing ..." His comments suggest not only the scale of the attack but also hint at the involvement of more organized, perhaps state-sponsored actors.
Subsequent disruptions were reported around 9:30 AM and 11:00 AM ET, underscoring the severity of the assault as the platform's services continued to stagger against the overwhelming influx of traffic aimed at crippling access. Dark Storm Team has gained notoriety for their advanced cyber warfare tactics and significant cybersecurity breaches, establishing themselves as formidable adversaries by targeting high-security systems. Since their emergence, the group has focused their efforts on attacks aimed at key sectors, especially those linked to NATO countries and Israel.
According to security experts, the frequency of such cyber incidents has been on the rise, with Check Point's 2025 Security report highlighting the severity and sophistication of these attacks. The report revealed alarming trends, including increased attacks on U.S. organizations, with the average number of cyberattacks per week surging to 1,323, particularly including vulnerabilities within the Media & Entertainment sector.
Through powerful posts on Telegram, Dark Storm Team not only claimed responsibility for the assault but also shared insights about their intentions, having warned last month of impending attacks aimed directly at government websites across NATO nations, signaling their pro-Palestinian and politically motivated stance by highlighting their dissatisfaction with U.S. foreign policy. This recent cyberattack adds to their arsenal of assaults, reinforcing fears over the security and stability of online platforms and infrastructure.
The user's frustration was palpable, as they encountered error messages from Cloudflare, indicating the outages were systemic rather than isolated incidents. By around 2 PM ET on the day of the attack, partial systems began to show signs of recovery. Still, the underlying concern remained over the potential for future attacks amid calls for enhanced security protocols and greater preparation by companies to fend off such threats.
Reports indicated varying impacts, with 56% of issues connected to the X app, compared to 33% for users accessing the website directly. This pattern of outages is not unprecedented; this incident marks the third major outage for X since Musk took control of the platform back in late 2022, immortalizing it within the volatile and tumultuous race for dominance within the social media space.
Concurrently, search interest for X's competitor, BlueSky, spiked as users sought alternatives during the outages, illustrating the growing market influences pressing X to protect its user base and maintain functionality. Victimized by technical limitations and external pressures, the platform's future appears uncertain as elements outside its control threaten its longevity.
Dark Storm Team's intentions, especially their public declarations and targeting practices, have provoked conversations surrounding the cybersecurity strategies employed by social media giants. Oded Vanunu, Chief Technologist at Check Point, noted, "For businesses and organizations, this incident reinforces the need for stronger cyber security defenses, especially against DDoS attacks, which can cripple online services." The point has been echoed within the tech community as calls for preventative measures grow louder.
With X currently undertaking measures to bolster its cybersecurity amid these tumultuous events, the reliance on online platforms is set against the backdrop of increasing risks presented by groups such as Dark Storm Team. This latest event serves as both a warning and call to action for tech companies to adopt stringent defenses against potential systemic threats, safeguarding both their services and their users against unpredictable cyber landscapes.
Elon Musk's assertion of the attack's scope not only invites scrutiny of standard operational security practices but also raises questions about the broader geopolitical dynamics influencing cyber engagements. Social media has recently bridged these hostile lines, making vulnerabilities more pronounced as the world increasingly navigates through politically contested waters.