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On March 10, 2025, X (formerly Twitter) experienced a significant disruption in its services, as thousands of users found themselves unable to log in or access the platform. This was just the beginning of a series of service interruptions that plagued the platform throughout the day. According to a group of cybercriminals called Dark Storm Team, this disruption wasn’t accidental, but a targeted attack designed to take the platform offline. This article delves into the details of the cyberattack, the response from X, and the ongoing cybersecurity threats faced by the platform.
A Day of Outages and DDoS Attacks
On the morning of March 10, 2025, users began experiencing issues accessing X’s services. The outages were not brief, but occurred in multiple waves throughout the day, leaving users unable to load the platform on mobile apps, websites, or through their desktop browsers.
Reports from Downdetector, a website that tracks online service outages, revealed that the issues first began around 2:30 AM Pacific Time, with another round of disruptions between 6:30 AM and 7:30 AM. The problems continued intermittently until 11:00 AM, creating a frustrating experience for users hoping to connect to the social media platform.
In the midst of these disruptions, Dark Storm Team, a group known for launching cyberattacks, claimed responsibility for the outages via a public post on Telegram. They announced that they had successfully taken X offline. Dark Storm Team, which was formed in 2023, specializes in Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, one of the most common methods used by cybercriminals to overwhelm websites with excessive traffic, rendering them inaccessible.
The Threat of DDoS Attacks
DDoS attacks are a form of cyberattack where malicious actors flood a website or server with an overwhelming amount of internet traffic, causing it to slow down or crash entirely. These attacks are a frequent issue for major companies and online services, often disrupting normal operations for hours or even days. For platforms like X, such attacks can have serious consequences, impacting user experience and damaging the brand’s reputation.
Elon Musk, owner of X, acknowledged the attacks, stating on social media that X was undergoing a “massive cyberattack” and that the company faces constant threats from cybercriminals. He speculated that the scale of the attack indicated either a large group or a nation-state was behind it, emphasizing the gravity of the situation. Musk’s statement points to the increasingly sophisticated nature of cyberattacks targeting high-profile platforms, with organized groups or state-sponsored entities leveraging significant resources to disrupt services.
X’s Response and Cloudflare Partnership
In response to the cyberattack, X quickly partnered with Cloudflare, a company known for its DDoS protection services. Cloudflare provides security solutions to defend against traffic-based attacks like DDoS, helping websites stay online even in the face of overwhelming traffic. As a result, users attempting to access certain parts of the website now encounter a verification form, asking them to prove they are human before gaining access. This measure helps X filter out suspicious traffic and mitigate the effects of the attack.
While the partnership with Cloudflare offers some protection, it also serves as a reminder of the vulnerabilities online platforms face in the digital age. Even platforms as prominent as X can become targets of large-scale cyberattacks that threaten their accessibility and the safety of their users.
What Undercode Says:
The rise of sophisticated cybercriminal organizations like Dark Storm Team reflects a concerning trend in online security. These groups are no longer just small-scale hackers seeking notoriety; they are highly organized and often have substantial resources at their disposal, making them capable of launching attacks that can bring down some of the most well-established websites and platforms.
The nature of DDoS attacks continues to evolve. Whereas in the past, these attacks were often seen as the work of isolated individuals or small groups, today’s DDoS campaigns can involve significant coordination, high-level expertise, and substantial funding. This shift means that X, and other major social media platforms, must continuously bolster their security infrastructure to stay ahead of these threats.
X’s decision to partner with Cloudflare is a clear sign of their recognition of the importance of protecting their infrastructure. Cloudflare’s ability to mitigate DDoS traffic is a valuable tool, but it’s also a reminder of how much of a risk these attacks pose to the functioning of online platforms. The sheer scale and complexity of modern cyberattacks have made DDoS protection services a necessity for any large platform with a global user base.
However,
Furthermore, Musk’s comment about the possibility of state-sponsored involvement in these cyberattacks points to a growing concern within the cybersecurity community: the blurring of lines between cybercriminals and nation-state actors. As geopolitical tensions rise, it’s possible that platforms like X could become pawns in larger international conflicts, with cyberattacks being used as a tool of digital warfare.
The nature of these threats also raises questions about the future of online privacy and data security. In an era where personal information is increasingly stored and shared online, the security of platforms like X is crucial to maintaining user trust. Any prolonged outages or breaches can lead to lasting damage to a platform’s reputation, as well as loss of user confidence.
Fact Checker Results:
- Event Timeline: The disruptions occurred between 2:30 AM and 11:00 AM Pacific Time on March 10, 2025, as confirmed by Downdetector data.
- Claimed Responsibility: Dark Storm Team, a hacker group known for DDoS attacks, claimed responsibility for the cyberattack on Telegram.
- X’s Response: X has partnered with Cloudflare to help mitigate DDoS attacks and prevent further disruptions.
References:
Reported By: https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2025/03/x-users-report-login-troubles-as-dark-storm-claims-cyberattack
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